Louis XVI 15 sols 1791

Started by Figleaf, March 11, 2024, 06:00:49 PM

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Figleaf

How often do you see a king paired with a genius? It happened on the last series of the French king who was beheaded for his sins, Louis XVI. The genius is a symbol of the revolution that toppled him. It's still flapping its wings on Place de la Bastille in Paris. Officially, it is the génie de la liberté, but it is much better known as the génie de la Bastille and pictured full frontal on the 10 franc coins 1988 to 2001.

genie de la Bastille.jpg

My coin is a 15 sols 1791 / An 3. That's not an odd denomination: it is 1/8th écu. On the reverse is the legend REGNE DE LA LOI - reign of the law, which is clarified by the tablet, on which the angel is writing CONSTITUTION. The dot below the U of LOUIS is an indicator that the coin was struck in the first six months of the year (point de semestre). Below 15 is a cross, the mark of Jean-Baptiste Daniel la Vallée, engraver at the Limoges mint. Below Sols is an I for the Limoges mint. Don't know who the tower (?) below the king's head is for. It should be the mark of the director of the Limoges mint.  Dy 1721, Numista 6099, KM 604.5

15 sols 1791I.jpeg

Enjoy.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

Guillaume Hermann

According to my very old Gadoury, the "tower" is in reality a bundle of arrows, mark of François Alluaud, director of the Limoges mint from 1791 to year II, and who will return from year VI to year VIII with a flower, which his successor Jacques Chevalier will continue unchanged until the year X.
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Figleaf

An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.