Munich gold dealer Pro Aurum has constructed a festive showstopper - Europe’s most expensive Christmas tree - out of 2,018 gold coins topped with a glittering golden star, which the firm says is worth 2.3 million euros.

They may look like the foil-wrapped chocolate coins many children will find in their Christmas stocking, but these are the real deal: solid gold one-ounce Vienna Philharmonic coins on an acrylic stand, topped with a giant 20-ounce coin.

That adds up to 63 kilograms of pure gold, a Pro Aurum spokesman said, according to Reuters.

Made in cooperation with the Austrian Mint, the three-metre high tree took over an hour to assemble and will be on display at Pro Aurum’s Munich goldhouse until December 15.

But it’s not quite as valuable as it could have been: the dealer’s spokesman said the gold rate has tumbled in the second half of 2018.