1/2 Écu - Louis XV

The half-écu series under Louis XV ran across one of the most fiscally turbulent stretches of Bourbon rule, covering the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War — the latter of which effectively bankrupted the French crown and triggered the monetary reforms that would eventually follow under Louis XVI. Individual years within this long run vary dramatically in rarity; certain issues from provincial mints were struck in quantities so small that they are considered rare by any standard, while Paris issues from the 1760s are comparatively plentiful.

The Dy royales reference 1681 encompasses multiple mint marks. Collectors working this series seriously treat each mint-year combination as a distinct issue rather than a single type.