Louis d’or

The louis d’or was a French gold coin introduced under Louis XIII in 1640. It remained a standard French gold coin, with changing designs and values, until the Revolution.

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French livre: The livre was a French unit of account and currency used before the franc. The louis d’or’s official value was reckoned in livres.
Louis XIII: King of France from 1610 to 1643, whose reign saw the first louis d’or issued in 1640. The coin was named for the king and first minted during his reign.
Écu: The écu was a French coin denomination, especially associated with silver coinage. The silver écu was introduced alongside the gold louis d’or in 1640.
Louis d’or à la tête nue: A louis d’or type depicting Louis XIV bareheaded, issued in the later seventeenth century. Its portrait shows how royal imagery distinguished successive issues.
French franc: The franc is a French currency unit first introduced as a coin in 1360 and later adopted as the national currency. The franc replaced the livre and became the currency of later French coinage.
Claude de Bullion: A French statesman who served as superintendent of finances under Louis XIII. Bullion’s financial administration was associated with the 1640 currency reform.
Doubloon: A doubloon was a Spanish gold coin, commonly the two-escudo piece, widely used in international trade. It was a prominent foreign gold coin competing with the louis d’or in commerce.
Louis d’or au soleil: A louis d’or type bearing a sun device, struck during the reign of Louis XIV. The sun emblem links the coin’s design to Louis XIV’s royal symbolism.
Gold standard: A monetary system in which a currency’s value is defined by a fixed quantity of gold. The coin’s gold content mattered to its value, though France did not operate a simple gold standard throughout its history.
Jean Varin: A French medalist and engraver who became a leading designer and administrator of royal coinage. Varin’s work helped establish the refined portrait style of the new gold coinage.