The Municipal Credit of Nîmes, a modern-day pawnbroker

The team of the Crédit municipal de Nîmes, helpful and attentive. MIDI LIBRE – Alissandre Allemand

At a time when life is increasingly expensive, the Crédit municipal de Nîmes, with its vocation as a pawnbroker, welcomes a very diverse public in need of a temporary solution to deal with a need for money. Discovery of the new generation Mont de la Piété.

It has been exactly 197 years since the Crédit municipal de Nîmes (formerly based on the site of the bullfighting museum) allowed anyone to find emergency cash by depositing one of their material assets. Mostly jewelry. But sometimes paintings by masters, leather goods, musical instruments…

The only conditions required: be of legal age, have an identity document and proof of address less than three months old. The principle is simple: you deposit your property in exchange for cash and you have six months (renewable) to come and collect it.

Simple and efficient

Born in Italy, the Mont-de-piété arrived in France in the 1500s and then exclusively offered its pawnbroking service. It was only about fifty years ago that the public institution developed a banking component, where everyone, regardless of their profile or income, could open an account.

Far from the sordid image of pawnbrokers of the time, the Crédit municipal offers an alternative to consumer credit for many. In 2024, nearly 3,500 files were opened in this direction in the Nîmes branch (11,000 in total in Occitanie).

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

“Since 2010, we have seen a real evolution in our clientele”, notes Annie Morieras, coordinator of pawn loans at the Nîmes branch (there are 18 branches of this type in France).“We have seen people come in here who would never have dared to push open the doors before. Because of the negative image that pawnbrokers used to have. While the system is really very simple. You suddenly have to change your washing machine or your fridge. Rather than taking out a consumer loan, you visit us with a valuable item, we estimate it, and up to 3,000 euros you can leave with the sum in cash.”

Cheaper than a safe deposit box at the bank

Some wealthy people do not hesitate to use this system to release funds easily and without credit. “Last week we received a gentleman who deposited a gold bar. In order to have cash to pay the deposit for the purchase of his land without going through his bank”.

More and more young people do not hesitate to deposit family jewels in order to finance their driving license. “As soon as they have managed to collect the loan money, they come back to collect their belongings”, continues Marie Robert, the sales manager.

Others see the Municipal Credit as a wonderful way to protect their belongings. “Entrusting us with their objects is cheaper than putting them in a safe at the bank!” So it is common for valuables to be deposited at the municipal credit when people go on vacation or are away for long periods. “This is an opportunity for some people, for example, to even use the money from the pawn loan to finance their vacation. They get the jewelry back afterward when they have enough to repay the debt”.

29 euros per gram of gold

And at 29 euros per gram of gold currently, owning a piece of gold jewelry can quickly bring in a lot of money. “I always advise people, no matter what their stories are, not to sell their gold. It's a precious metal whose prices will continue to rise. Here, you know that you can get it back as soon as your finances improve. And that you will always have enough to bounce back in case of another hard blow.”