Louis d'Or of Louis XV

The Louis d'Or of Louis XV often featured a portrait that evolved with the king, from a youthful bust in his teens to a more mature one by mid-century.

This reflected not just vanity but practical minting needs; the coin was restruck multiple times to adjust for France's volatile economy. Weighing around 7.65 grams and struck from .917 fine gold, it carried a face value of 24 livres tournois. Early issues came from the Paris mint, though exact origins of the gold bullion remain murky—likely from colonial sources, but records are sparse.

Design variations, like the 1726 "bust juvénile," show the king's features in exquisite detail, courtesy of engravers like Jean Duvivier. Mintage figures for many years are unknown, lost in bureaucratic haze. France produced these coins in the millions, yet few survive intact, thanks to wartime melting.

Wars and reforms meant the coin's purity dipped occasionally, a minor irony for a currency meant to gleam.