Kingdom of France, Louis XVI, 1/5 Ecu 1788

This coin was minted in 1788, just before the outbreak of the French Revolution. The royal engraver Benjamin Duvivier succeeded in portraying the king very naturalistically. Louis XVI (1774-1793) was not depicted in the traditional antique style any more, but elegantly, in the spirit of rococo. A new era had begun, in every respect.