As the CoinValueLookup website noted, French coinage has a long and tumultuous history. For example, France’s King Jean II Le Bon passed
a law that created the first franc in 1360, although coins had been produced before then.
The new gold coins acted as “ransom payments” to release the king after he was captured by King Edward III of England.
About 300 years later, King Louis XII abolished the franc as legal currency and replaced it with the silver ecu and gold Louis coins.
Today, many French coins prized by dealers and collectors date to 1800 or earlier, though a few were minted in the 19th century.
1640 Louis XIII 10 Louis d’Or: $456,000 estimated value 1670 Louis XIV 15 Sols: $132,000 1803 Napoleon gold Proof Medallic Essai “Paris Mint Visit” 5 Francs, L’An XI: $95,00
1270 Louis IX, Royal d’Or de Noyon: $60,00 1646 Louis XIV, Double Louis d’Or: $56,000 1815 Napoleon “100 Days” 5 Francs: $24,000