Douzain of Louis XIV

The Douzain of Louis XIV, a copper coin, was often struck on recycled planchets from earlier issues, a practical measure amid France's chronic coin shortages. This recycling wasn't glamorous; it just kept the economy limping along during the king's endless wars.

Weighing around 5 grams and measuring about 24 millimeters, the coin typically featured Louis's bust on the obverse and a crowned shield on the reverse. Designs varied by mint, with Paris and provincial sites like Lyon producing subtle differences in lettering and edge marks.

Exact mintage figures are murky; records from that era were spotty, and many were destroyed in later upheavals. Still, these coins circulated widely, from markets in Versailles to remote villages, greasing the wheels of absolute monarchy.

Some variants show wear from heavy use, a silent witness to the grind of daily life under the Sun King.