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A Louis d'or is a French gold coin, first introduced by Louis XIII in 1640, featuring a depiction of the head of a King Louis on one side of the coin, from which its name derives. The coin was replaced by the French franc at the time of the revolution and later by the similarly valued Napoléon.

This picture shows a coin worth one Louis d'or, minted in 1788, during the reign of Louis XVI. His rule saw the last of the Louis d'or coinage to be minted, with the franc being established as the national currency in 1795 by the revolutionary National Convention. The obverse (left) features the king's head in profile and an abbreviated Latin inscription translating to 'Louis XVI, by the grace of God, King of France and Navarre', while the reverse (right) features the French and Navarrese coats of arms, surmounted by a crown, with the abbreviated Latin for 'Christ reigns, conquers, commands'. This coin is part of the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.

Other Louis d'or coins: Louis XIII, Louis XIV, Louis XVCoin design credit: Pierre-Simon-Benjamin Duvivier; photographed by the National Numismatic Collection

See also

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