How Far Back Can We Go? Sixth Edition! Ended At 1380 Waiting On 1379

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1786 - Connecticut - Mailed Bust Left
Miller 4.1-g (R3)
NGC F12

They were just waiting for those rowdy Frenchmen to calm down a bit after the Hundred Years' War 300 years earlier. Then the English could return as the rightful kings.

Here is the unfortunate Louis XVI, while still fortunate and unaware of what awaits just three years later.

France 1786, double louis d'or, Louis XVI, Paris (A).



The double louis d'or was the largest denomination during the ancien regime. It was valued at 48 livres, which was 1-2 ordinary monthly salaries. A coin seldom seen by commoners.

Like for most gold and silver coins during the royal period, the value is not stated anywhere on the coin. ½, 1 and 2 louis d'or coins look the same, apart from being of different size and weight (the same applies to the silver ecus). Royal decrees define the coins' values at each time (although values had been stable for an unusually long period, since 1726).

A side note regarding monarchical claims: From the 16th century the Swedish and Danish monarchs both claimed to be kings also of the "Wends," vaguely defined as the population living along the south coast of the Baltic. Apart from the relatively short-lived Swedish possessions in this area during the 1600s, the claim was never realized, but it was not officially dropped from the royal titles until the 1970s. Most "Wends" were probably unaware of the claims made on them.

Beautiful coins, love the Louis D'or

Agree about English coins claiming French legitimacy - the last part of France occupied by England was Calais until 1559. But at the same time, the Stuart rulers were half French, bear in mind Charles I married Louis XIII's sister Henriette Marie in 1625 and Charles II and James II were half French, Mary II and Anne were quarter French.

Going further back, James V of Scotland married Mary of Guise and their daughter Mary Queen of Scots was actually Queen of France for 16 months when her sickly husband Francois II was king of France, so that meant James I was quarter French as well.

Also the French last tried to invade Jersey in 1748.

The British were always slow to let things go. India became independent on August 15th 1947, yet Ind Imp survived on coins until the end of 1948.

French liard, Metz mint

A 1785-D 20 Kreuzer of Bavaria minted in Munich



..and a 1785-E 3 Groschen of Prussia, a bit worse off