France, Kingdom of / Louis XV le Bien-Aimé (King Louis XV the Beloved)

France, Kingdom of - Louis XV le Bien-Aimé (King Louis XV the Beloved) (1 September 1715 - 10 May 1774)

Louis XIV, known as Louis the Great (Louis le Grand) or the Sun King (le Roi-Soleil), was a monarch of the House of Bourbon who ruled as King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest of any monarch of a major country in European history. In this age of absolutism in Europe, Louis XIV's France was a leader in the growing centralization of power.

Louis began his personal rule of France in 1661, after the death of his chief minister, the Italian Cardinal Mazarin. An adherent of the concept of the divine right of kings, which advocates the divine origin of monarchical rule, Louis continued his predecessors' work of creating a centralized state governed from the capital. He sought to eliminate the remnants of feudalism persisting in parts of France and, by compelling many members of the nobility to inhabit his lavish Palace of Versailles (formerly a hunting lodge belonging to Louis' father), succeeded in pacifying the aristocracy, many members of which had participated in the Fronde rebellion during Louis' minority. By these means he became one of the most powerful French monarchs and consolidated a system of absolute monarchical rule in France that endured until the French Revolution.

Louis encouraged and benefited from the work of prominent political, military, and cultural figures such as Mazarin, Colbert, Louvois, the Grand Condé, Turenne, and Vauban, as well as Molière, Racine, Boileau, La Fontaine, Lully, Marais, Le Brun, Rigaud, Bossuet, Le Vau, Mansart, Charles and Claude Perrault, and Le Nôtre. Under his rule, the Edict of Nantes, which granted rights to Huguenots, was abolished. The revocation effectively forced Huguenots to emigrate or convert in a wave of dragonnades, which managed to virtually destroy the French Protestant minority.

During Louis' reign, France was the leading European power, and it fought three major wars: the Franco-Dutch War, the War of the League of Augsburg, and the War of the Spanish Succession. There were also two lesser conflicts: the War of Devolution and the War of the Reunions. Warfare defined Louis XIV's foreign policies, and his personality shaped his approach. Impelled "by a mix of commerce, revenge, and pique," Louis sensed that warfare was the ideal way to enhance his glory. In peacetime he concentrated on preparing for the next war. He taught his diplomats their job was to create tactical and strategic advantages for the French military.

The English translation of the royal style of King Louis XV was "By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Navarre; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois".

France, Kingdom of - Louis XV le Bien-Aimé (King Louis XV the Beloved): showing 6 of 6 coins
Coin NameReverseObverseDetails
Jeton Comitia Artesis France, Kingdom of / Jeton Comitia Artesis - reverse photo France, Kingdom of / Jeton Comitia Artesis - obverse photo Material:
Mints:
Total Mintage: unknown
Jeton 1716 Dijon France, Kingdom of / Jeton 1716 Dijon - reverse photo France, Kingdom of / Jeton 1716 Dijon - obverse photo Material: Copper
Mints:
Total Mintage: unknown
Quarter Ecu 1717 France, Kingdom of / Quarter Ecu 1717 - reverse photo France, Kingdom of / Quarter Ecu 1717 - obverse photo Material: Gold
Mint: Paris Mint
Mintage: unknown
Double Louis d'Or 1723 France, Kingdom of / Double Louis d'Or 1723 - reverse photo France, Kingdom of / Double Louis d'Or 1723 - obverse photo Material: 0.917 Gold
Mint: Paris Mint
Mintage: unknown
Jeton 1751 Dijon Claude Marlot France, Kingdom of / Jeton 1751 Dijon Claude Marlot - reverse photo France, Kingdom of / Jeton 1751 Dijon Claude Marlot - obverse photo Material: Copper
Mints:
Total Mintage: unknown
Two Sols 1755 France, Kingdom of / Two Sols 1755 - reverse photo France, Kingdom of / Two Sols 1755 - obverse photo Material: Nickel Brass (Neusilber)
Mint: Paris Mint
Mintage: unknown
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Louis XV le Bien-Aimé (King Louis XV the Beloved): Details
CountryFrance, Kingdom of
From1 September 1715
To10 May 1774
Personal Information King Louis XV the Beloved of France
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Country Details
NameFrance, Kingdom of
From987
To1792
WikiSee Wikipedia page
FlagFlag of France, Kingdom of