Écu of Louis XVI
1783 ・ silver ・ 18th century ・ Paris mint
The six-livre écu of Louis XVI (1783, Paris mint). On the face, 'Louis XVI, by the grace of God king of France and Navarre', with the king's profile; on the back, 'Blessed be the name of the Lord', and a crowned shield framed in laurel. Turgot swore 'no bankruptcy, no new taxes, no borrowing'; Necker met the costs of war with public debt; Calonne broke apart before the Assembly of Notables — while the reformers on the eve of the Revolution wrestled with the cliff of debt, this silver coin, its machined edge shutting out shaving, still held the standard of good money.