Coin France Liard of France with juvenile bust - Louis XIV - 1656 - I Limoges

The liard de France with the juvenile bust of Louis XIV, struck in 1656 at the Limoges mint, is a copper coin characteristic of French royal coinage of the 17th century. The Limoges mint is identified by the letter I, a mint mark conventionally associated with this city under the Ancien Régime.

The obverse of the coin features the juvenile bust of Louis XIV, a common representation from the early years of the Sun King's reign, who ascended to the throne in 1643 at the age of five. This type of portrait, known as "juvenile", reflects the monetary issues produced during the minority and youth of the sovereign, before the adoption of more mature busts on later issues. The legend surrounding the bust generally mentions the monarch's royal title.

The reverse displays the classic attributes of the liard de France, with the royal emblems specific to this denomination, including the fleurs-de-lis and references to the kingdom of France.

This coin is entirely composed of copper, a metal then reserved for small denominations intended for everyday low-value transactions. The liard represented three deniers, a modest fraction of the livre tournois, and circulated primarily in daily exchanges.

Physically, the coin has a diameter of 22 millimetres and a weight of 3.29 grams, in accordance with the weight standards defined by royal ordinances for this denomination. These metric characteristics allow specimens to be identified and authenticated by comparing them to the official standards of the time.

The production of copper liards at several provincial mints, including Limoges, bears witness to the decentralised organisation of the royal monetary system under Louis XIV, prior to the major monetary reforms that would take place in the second half of the 17th century.