The loss of viability and vigor compromises the agricultural usefulness of seeds and can also affect their nutritional properties. In this work, we examined the viability and vigor of freshly harvested French beans and of beans stored at approximately 8oC for 12 years. Quiescent seeds and seedlings grown until cotyledon abscission were subjected to germination and vigor tests, as well as microscopic analysis. As a control, fresh seeds underwent accelerated ageing for 8 and 16 days, and showed a gradual loss of viability. The stored seeds contained less humidity (6.5 ± 0.3%) than fresh seeds (12.9 ± 1.2%), with an imbibition time that increased from 6 h to 25 h. Germination began 24 h later and reached 86.8 ± 5.4%, which was not significantly different from that of fresh beans (96.0 ± 3.5%). The frequency of shooting and the rate of daily growth were only slightly better for fresh beans grown in the dark. Morphological analysis revealed alterations in the crystalline structure of starch in stored seeds that differed from those seen in beans with accelerated ageing. The mobilization of reserves occurred in fresh and stored beans. In addition, in stored beans and after accelerated ageing, there were alterations in the arrangement of proteins, and many cell walls were ruptured. The acid phosphatase activity was similar in fresh and stored beans, but decreased after 8 days of accelerated ageing and was not detected after 16 days. These finding suggest that enzymatic activity can be used as a bio-marker for seed viability and vigor.