A pair of Florida retirees in their 80s are set to face trial in France concerning gold bars obtained from an 18th-century shipwreck. The unusual case of Eleonor “Gay” Courter and her husband, Philip, 82, has garnered significant interest across the Atlantic. This week, French prosecutors announced their intention to try the Courters alongside two other individuals in this complex matter, according to reports from AFP. A trial is anticipated to commence in the fall of 2026.
The Courters are charged with unlawfully selling the gold online for a French diver, Yves Gladu, who is alleged to have illegally salvaged the bars from the wreck of the Prince de Conty decades earlier off the coast of Brittany. This French vessel sank in 1746. Their legal troubles emerged when French authorities discovered gold ingots from the ship being sold on a U.S. auction website, prompting collaboration with American officials to confiscate and repatriate the gold to France.
The Courters contend that they were unaware of any wrongdoing in their attempt to sell the gold bars, which had been gifted to them years prior by a French couple related to Gladu. Their attorney emphasized that the couple believed their actions were legal, stressing the confusion surrounding the differing regulations regarding gold in the U.S. and France. Notably, an appearance on Antiques Roadshow played a critical role in bringing the case to light.
