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1⁄60 Ecu - Louis XV Sou Marque/Double Sol
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 1738-1764 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Dy royales#1690, KM#500, Ciani#2138 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Central field displays two interlaced and crowned Ls forming a royal double monogram, adorned with floral and foliate ornamental branches issuing from either side. A royal crown surmounts the cipher at top center. The surrounding legend SIT NOM DOM BENEDICTUM, meaning 'Blessed be the Name of the Lord', is separated by dot stops and includes the mint year, with the mint mark appearing in the lower field or exergue depending on the issuing mint. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The Sou Marque was introduced by royal edict in 1738 as part of a broader effort to rationalize France's chaotic small-change coinage, which had accumulated decades of debased, clipped, and counterfeit pieces in daily circulation. Billon — the lowest tier of silver-bearing alloy the mint would officially strike — was chosen precisely because small denominations needed to be cheap to produce while still carrying enough silver content to resist the most casual counterfeiting.
Production ran across multiple mints simultaneously, making mint-mark attribution essential to meaningful attribution of any individual piece. Paris output was heaviest in the early years of the issue.