$10,527.00 USD
Introduced by edict on March 31, 1640 under Louis XIII, the Louis d'Or was a new gold coinage designed to stabilize France's currency and compete with Spanish and English gold coins.
The obverse bears a laureate bust of King Louis XIII with the legend "LVDOVXIII D G FR ET NAV REX" (Latin for "Louis XIII, by the grace of God, King of France and Navarre")
The reverse features a cross formed by four interlocking "L" monograms under royal crowns, with the Paris mint mark "A" at the center. Surrounded by the motto "CHRS • REGN • VINC • IMP" (abbreviating Christus regnat, vincit, imperat, meaning "Christ reigns, conquers, and rules")
Key features include:
· Engraved by the renowned artist Jean Varin (Warin)
· Represented a major innovation: machine-minted (milled) coinage replacing traditional hand-hammered coins
· The superior pendulum-striking technique resulted in higher quality detail and more uniform planchets
Most surviving 1640 Louis d'Ors are found in circulated grades due to the coin's age (over 380 years old) and the likelihood that many were melted or heavily worn. The entire population of Louis XIII Louis d'Or (1640-1643) in AU58 and above is only a handful, whereas hundreds of millions of people lived in 17th-century France. This disparity between historical mintage and surviving top-grade population underscores how extraordinary this AU58 Louis d'Or truly is.
France Gold Louis D'OR, King Louis XIV in his 1st year of reign. 1st Year of the Type. Paris Mint. Extremely Rare. 3/4
