A French gold hallmark certifies fineness, and fineness combined with weight and the daily spot price sets your gold's core value. The eagle's head marks 18-carat (750) gold; other punches cover higher and lower purities. What varies between buyers is not the public spot price but the buyback rate they choose to pay.
A hallmark is an official stamp punched into a gold item that certifies its fineness, and in France it is the first thing a buyer reads before making an offer. The mark tells the dealer exactly how much pure gold the piece contains, which is the single biggest driver of its melt value alongside weight and the daily spot price. France has used a state guarantee system since 1798, so most French jewellery and bars carry a legally recognised stamp. Fineness is expressed in thousandths: 24k equals 999, 22k equals 916, 18k equals 750, 14k equals 585 and 9k equals 375. An 18-carat ring (750) therefore holds three-quarters pure gold, while a 9k piece holds barely over a third. No hallmark does not mean no value, but it does mean the buyer must test the metal before quoting.
France uses distinct punches for different finenesses, and knowing them helps you judge whether an offer is fair. The eagle's head (tete d'aigle) has certified 18-carat gold (750) since the nineteenth century and remains the mark most French sellers will see on jewellery. Higher purities carry other guarantee marks, while imported gold sold in France may bear a separate stamp confirming it was checked on entry. Older or foreign pieces often show a maker's mark inside a lozenge alongside the fineness figure, and coins carry no jewellery hallmark at all because their value rests on official minting and, for some, a numismatic premium. If a stamp is worn, ambiguous or absent, a reputable buyer will confirm fineness with an acid test or a non-destructive XRF reading rather than guessing downward.
The hallmark sets your fineness; fineness multiplied by weight and the day's spot price gives the theoretical gold content value, but that is not what lands in your pocket. Spot price is public and identical for every buyer, so the real difference between offers is the buyback rate, the percentage of that content value a dealer actually pays, and dealers are under no obligation to publish it. A transparent buyer will state their rate openly; an opaque one hides the margin. Weigh your pieces, read the fineness mark, check the live spot price, and you can estimate the content value yourself before walking in. For coins and bars, add any collector premium on top. This is why it pays to compare gold buyers in your city rather than accept the first counter offer.
French law tightly frames every gold transaction to prevent fraud and money laundering. Payment must be traceable by bank transfer or cheque and never in cash, the buyer must record your government ID in a police register, and both apply regardless of the amount. When you sell, you are also liable for tax: either the flat tax on precious metals levied on the sale price, or the capital-gains regime if you can produce proof of the original purchase, which can be more favourable on long-held items. Keep any invoices or certificates you have. A dealer who offers cash or skips the ID check is operating outside the law, and that is a clear signal to take your gold elsewhere.
It is the French state guarantee mark for 18-carat gold, a fineness of 750, meaning the item is three-quarters pure gold. It is the most common hallmark on French jewellery.
No. An unmarked piece still contains gold, but the buyer cannot read its fineness from a stamp, so they must test it with acid or an XRF reader before quoting. Insist on seeing the tested fineness before accepting any offer.
No. French law requires traceable payment by bank transfer or cheque, plus recording your ID in a police register. Any offer of cash is a sign the buyer is not operating legally.
Read the fineness figure (for example 750 for 18k), weigh the item, and multiply by the live public spot price to get the content value. The actual sum paid depends on each dealer's buyback rate, so compare several.