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1/8 Écu - Louis XIII
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 1610-1646 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/8 Silver Ecu |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The crowned arms of France — a shield semé of fleurs-de-lis — occupy the central field, flanked by the Roman numeral denomination 'VIII' divided across the field to left and right of the shield, indicating the eighth part of an écu. A royal crown surmounts the shield. The surrounding Latin legend invokes the blessing of the Lord's name. The overall design is characteristic of the French royal coinage of the early Bourbon period, with bold heraldic elements typical of Louis XIII's monetary types. |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | 9: Rennes, France; A: Monnaie de Paris, Paris (and Pessac starting 1973), France (864-date); AR: Arras, France; B: Rouen, France (?-1858); C: Saint-Lô, France (1275-1693); D: Lyon, France (?-1858); E: Tours, France; F: Angers, France (mid 8th century - 1662); G: Poitiers, France; H: La Rochelle, France (?-1837); I: Limoges, France (?-1837); K: Bordeaux, France (?-1880); L: Bayonne, France (?-1837); M: Toulouse, France (?-1837); T: Nantes, France (?-1837); X: Amiens, France; Y: Bourges, France; Z: Grenoble, France |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Louis XIII's minority rule began at age nine following Henri IV's assassination in 1610, and the French royal mint operated under significant political turbulence throughout — first under Marie de Médicis as regent, then increasingly under Cardinal Richelieu's direction from 1624. The fractional écu denominations were workhorses of everyday commerce in a period when France was financing costly involvement in the Thirty Years' War while simultaneously suppressing Huguenot rebellions at home.
Multiple mint marks appear across this type's long production run, with output distributed across provincial mints including Rouen, Bordeaux, and Lyon. Pieces from the later years of the reign show progressive die deterioration consistent with wartime production pressure.