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1 Écu d'Or - Louis XIII
| Issuer | Royal Mint of France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1641-1642 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Quartered shield of arms occupying the central field, divided by a plain cross into four quarters: the first and fourth quarters bear the fleurs-de-lis of France (semé of three), while the second and third quarters display the chained dolphin of Dauphiné within a wreath. The shield is set within a beaded inner circle. The surrounding legend reads: + LVDOVICVS. XIII. D. G. FRAN. ET. NAV. REX, identifying Louis XIII by the grace of God as King of France and Navarre. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | CHRISTVS. REGNAT. VINCIT. ET. IMP. 1641 |
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| Additional information |
The écu d'or underwent a formal redefinition by royal edict in 1640, when Louis XIII and his finance ministers — with Richelieu's administration driving fiscal policy — standardized French gold coinage in a bid to stabilize exchange rates destabilized by decades of Spanish silver flooding European markets. This issue, struck across 1641–42, belongs to that reformed type rather than the older pistole-aligned standard it replaced.
Dreux Budé's Dy royales reference 1291 distinguishes this emission from visually similar preceding types by subtle edict-date markers. Most survivors show honest circulation wear — these coins moved actively in trade.