$18,604.00 USD
The Louis d'Or was introduced in 1640 under King Louis XIII as part of a major currency reform that modernized French coinage from hammered to milled production. This reform, orchestrated with the support of Cardinal Richelieu, aimed to stabilize France's monetary system by aligning gold coinage with international standards.
Obverse: Louis XIII's laureate portrait in classical style ("à l'antique"), typically with a flowing long curl (mèche longue) variety of his hair. The Latin legend "LVD XIII D G FR ET NAV REX" encircles the king's bust, abbreviating "Ludovicus XIII, Dei Gratia Franciae et Navarrae Rex" (Louis XIII, by the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre). The date 1641 appears below the bust.
Reverse: Four mirror-image "L" monograms (for Louis) arranged in a cross, each topped with a crown, with royal fleur-de-lis filling the quadrants. At the center is the mint mark "A" for Paris. The reverse legend proclaims "CHRS REGN VINC IMP", an abbreviated Latin motto meaning "Christ reigns, conquers, and commands."
The coin was engraved by Jean Varin (Warin), the master engraver of the Paris mint, whose work on these pieces is celebrated for its artistry. It was struck at 22 karat purity (91.7% fine gold) with a standard weight of about 6.7 grams, containing approximately 0.1972 troy ounces of pure gold.
Population rarity:
· NGC Census reports only a handful of 1641-A louis d'ors in any Mint State grade, with MS64 being the highest grade achieved by any
· None are graded MS65 or better by NGC for this date
· PCGS similarly shows either zero or extremely few in MS64, and none finer
· Out of all 1641-A louis d'ors extant, likely fewer than 5 coins would merit a Mint State grade today
· Coins at the MS63-64 level are incredibly scarce, with perhaps only two or three examples known in that range
This tiny population explains why the coin can command such a premium – even wealthy collectors cannot simply find another MS64 or bid on one every year; they might wait a decade to see one offered.
