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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 1709, during the reign of Louis XIV. Like its predecessor under Louis XIII, it was made of 22-carat gold, was 25 mm (1 in) in diameter and weighed 6.75 g (0.24 oz). The obverse (left) features the king's head in profile and an abbreviated Latin inscription translating to 'Louis XIV, by the grace of God, King of France and Navarre', while the reverse (right) features four royal monograms (double "L"s surmounted by a crown) and four fleurs-de-lis, 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 XV, Louis XVICoin design credit: Jean Varin; photographed by the National Numismatic Collection

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