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Ecu with eight Ls and laureate, draped and cuirassed bust - Louis XIV
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 1704-1709 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Silver Ecu |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Right-facing laureate effigy of Louis XIV, rendered as a draped and cuirassed bust with an elaborate flowing wig cascading to the shoulder, executed in high relief characteristic of late Baroque royal portraiture. The king wears a laurel wreath interwoven with his long curled locks, and armour is visible at the truncation of the bust. The circular legend runs continuously around the periphery of the field, separated from the toothed border by a narrow rim. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The "huit L" écu was introduced in 1704 as part of Louis XIV's desperate monetary reforms during the War of the Spanish Succession, when prolonged campaigning had nearly bankrupted the French treasury. By revaluing and reissuing silver coinage, the crown extracted seigniorage profit from mandatory reminting of older écus — holders were legally compelled to surrender existing silver coin for revaluation, a forced transaction that funded the armies of Marlborough's opponents in the field.
Struck across multiple provincial mints between 1704 and 1709, attributing individual pieces to specific facilities requires close attention to the mint mark, as output quality varied considerably by location. The Rennes mint in particular produced notoriously inconsistent strikes during this period.