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1/2 écu à la vieille tête - Louis XV
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 1771-1774 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Silver Ecu |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Draped and laureate bust of Louis XV facing left, rendered in the aged or 'vieille tête' portrait style introduced late in his reign. The effigy is executed with fine detail, showing the king in profile with a laurel wreath and drapery at the shoulder. The engraver's signature 'ROETT FIL.' appears on the neck truncation. The circular legend reads LUD•XV•D•G•FR•ET NAV•REX•, identifying the king by name, title, and divine right. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | LUD•XV•D•G•FR• ET NAV•REX• |
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| Additional information |
The "vieille tête" — old head — portrait was introduced in 1771 after decades of complaints that the royal coinage bore a king who looked nothing like the aging Louis XV. The new effigy by Joseph-Charles Roëttiers was a belated concession to accuracy, commissioned when the king was already in his sixties. He would die in 1774, making the production window for this type exceptionally short and the total mintage across all marks correspondingly limited.
Roëttiers faced resistance from court factions who considered the unflattering portrait politically awkward.