616:
463:
747:
129:
733:
32:
719:
490:, or about 250 grams) of gold was worth 740₶.9s. (so, one Troy ounce of gold was worth approximately 4 Louis or 93₶.); 8 Troy ounces of silver was worth 51₶.2s.3d. This led to a strict conversion rate between gold and silver (14.4867 to 1) and established the values of the coins in circulation in France at:
470:
The first French paper money was issued in 1701 and was denominated in livres tournois. However, the notes did not hold their value relative to silver due to massive over–production. The Banque Royale (the last issuer of these early notes) crashed in 1720, rendering the banknotes worthless (see
671:
coin was struck in 1803. Still the word livre survived; until the middle of the 19th century it was indifferently used alongside the word franc, especially to express large amounts and transactions linked with property (real estate, property incomes or "rentes", cattle, etc...).
329:
For much of the Middle Ages, different duchies of France were semi-autonomous if not practically independent from the weak
Capetian kings, and thus each minted its own currency. Charters would need to specify which region or mint was being used: "money of Paris" or "money of
379:
as the standard currency of his lands, gradually replacing even the livre of Paris, and ultimately the currencies of all French-speaking areas he controlled. This was a slow process lasting many decades and not completed within Philip II's lifetime.
451:. The écu and louis d'or fluctuated in value, with the écu varying between three and six livres tournois until 1726 when it was fixed at 6₶. The louis was initially (1640) worth 10₶., and fluctuated too, until its value was fixed at 24₶. in 1726.
268:. Only deniers were initially minted, but debasement led to larger denominations being issued. Different mints in different regions used different weights for the denier, leading to several distinct livres of different values.
601:
However a coin of 1₶. was not minted. Yet in 1720 a special coin minted in pure silver was produced and assigned a token value of 1₶. Additionally, France took
Navarrese 20-sou coins minted in 1719 and 1720, re-struck them as
781:
427:
The official use of the livre tournois accounting unit in all contracts in France was legislated in 1549. However, in 1577, the livre tournois accounting unit was officially abolished and replaced by the
383:
The result was that from 1200 onwards, following the beginning of King Philip II's campaigns against King John, the currency used within French speaking lands was in a state of flux, as the
390:
Until the thirteenth century and onwards, only deniers were actually minted as coin money. Both livres and sous did not actually exist as coins but were used only for accounting purposes.
612:écu (between the years of 1720 and 1723) essentially creating a coin worth 1 livre. These re-struck coins, however, eventually were assigned the value of 18 sous.
454:
In 1667, the livre parisis was officially abolished. However, the sole remaining livre was still frequently referred to as the livre tournois until its demise.
277:), the distinction being that the two have different genders. The monetary and weight unit is feminine, la/une livre, while "book" is masculine, le/un livre.
1528:
432:, which was at that time the major French gold coin in actual circulation. In 1602, the livre tournois accounting unit was brought back.
839:
1177:
642:
from 1789. Assignats were backed (in theory) by government-held land. Like the issues of the Banque Royale, their value plummeted.
172:
from 781 to 1794. Several different livres existed, some concurrently. The livre was the name of coins and of units of account.
1423:
225:
155:
805:
96:
1523:
1518:
68:
115:
75:
1533:
832:
53:
82:
49:
1513:
1327:
615:
1482:
64:
20:
241:. This system and the denier itself served as the model for many of Europe's currencies, including the
1312:
1046:
772:
646:
462:
1508:
1155:
825:
776:
1367:
1357:
1160:
42:
1192:
892:
817:
1347:
1098:
1402:
1352:
1267:
1051:
924:
627:
472:
440:
424:. This name persisted in common parlance for 1₶. but was not used on coins or paper money.
397:
instigated a royal monopoly on the minting of coinage in France and minted the first gold
334:". The first steps towards standardization came under the first strong Capetian monarch,
89:
8:
1362:
1237:
1227:
1222:
800:(66th ed.). Toronto, Ontario / Palm Harbor, Florida: The Charlton Press. p. 6.
692:
until 1834 when dwindling supplies of no-longer minted coins obliged the adoption of the
254:
273:
1433:
1377:
1317:
1297:
1272:
1257:
917:
752:
479:
394:
347:
335:
1252:
1232:
1118:
1061:
944:
801:
161:
1337:
1242:
1202:
1113:
1103:
1026:
850:
181:
1322:
1282:
1036:
980:
897:
681:
632:
487:
483:
343:
149:
1477:
1439:
1397:
1342:
1302:
1262:
1247:
1217:
1207:
1172:
1135:
1091:
1071:
1056:
1031:
965:
929:
902:
887:
882:
877:
872:
553:
443:
stopped minting the franc in 1641, replacing it with coins based on the silver
410:
375:
355:
339:
286:
250:
145:
1502:
1407:
1392:
1145:
1130:
1125:
1108:
1086:
1066:
1041:
1016:
960:
768:
724:
570:
414:
409:, whose weights (and thus monetary divisions) were roughly equivalent to the
242:
234:
215:
516:
444:
429:
399:
19:
This article is about an obsolete unit of currency. Not to be confused with
1471:
1387:
1372:
1277:
1212:
1187:
1182:
1150:
1076:
990:
985:
970:
939:
934:
907:
782:
Encyclopédie ou
Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers
738:
697:
693:
685:
668:
650:
502:
448:
421:
246:
230:
196:
169:
271:"Livre" is homophonous to the French word for "book" (from the Latin word
128:
1382:
1332:
1307:
1292:
1197:
1140:
1021:
1006:
975:
486:, a system of monetary stability was put in place. Eight Troy ounces (a
192:
1460:
1287:
1167:
912:
205:
141:
645:
The last coins and notes of the livre currency system were issued in
638:
31:
405:
370:
359:
351:
238:
703:
Today and after two centuries of using the franc, France uses the
1011:
636:, denominated in livres. These were issued until 1793, alongside
307:
165:
847:
1443:
689:
373:
was considered very stable, and Philip II decided to adopt the
331:
200:
1487:
1466:
366:
573:(copper coin) denominated in 3 and 6 denier units valued at
420:
Between 1360 and 1641, coins worth 1₶. were minted known as
856:
704:
680:
The livre had also been used as the legal currency of the
593:
sou respectively (the three denier coin was also called a
767:
556:(copper coin) denominated in 1 and 2 sou units valued at
338:(1165–1223). Philip II conquered much of the continental
280:
714:
56:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
229:, a Roman unit of weight and still the name of a
1500:
393:Upon his return from the crusades in the 1250s,
626:A kind of paper money was reintroduced by the
549:écu denominations valued at 60, 30 and 15 sous
833:
798:CANADIAN COINS: A Charlton Standard Catalogue
519:(silver coin) of 6₶. or 120 sous, along with
261:
466:10₶. note issued by La Banque Royale (1720)
387:was gradually introduced into other areas.
153:
840:
826:
795:
785:(in French). Vol. 1. p. 37b–38a.
1178:Japanese government-issued Oceanian pound
116:Learn how and when to remove this message
614:
461:
132:French 1793 24₶. gold coin of 7.64 grams
127:
186:
1501:
761:
435:
237:, and the denier comes from the Roman
1529:Economic history of the Ancien Régime
821:
649:of the Republic (1794). In 1795, the
457:
281:Late medieval and early modern period
54:adding citations to reliable sources
25:
365:The currency minted at the city of
13:
195:as a unit of account equal to one
14:
1545:
512:or half-Louis (gold coin) of 12₶.
260:This first livre is known as the
745:
731:
717:
675:
30:
16:French currency from 781 to 1794
41:needs additional citations for
789:
653:was introduced, worth 1₶.3d. (
164:and its predecessor states of
1:
1417:Historical antecedents (mass)
710:
191:The livre was established by
160:(pound)) was the currency of
1328:Rhodesia and Nyasaland pound
203:. It was subdivided into 20
7:
1483:Carolingian monetary system
688:remained legal currency in
182:French franc § History
21:French livre (unit of mass)
10:
1550:
1524:Economic history of France
1519:Modern obsolete currencies
1313:Prince Edward Island pound
1047:British West African pound
954:Local alternative currency
566:₶. (or 12 deniers) per sou
475:for more on this system).
284:
179:
175:
18:
1453:
1416:
1156:Italian East African lira
999:
953:
865:
305:
298:
293:
223:came from the Latin word
1368:South West African pound
1358:Southern Rhodesian pound
796:W.K. Cross, ed. (2012).
773:le Rond d'Alembert, Jean
1161:Italian Somaliland lira
1534:1795 disestablishments
1193:Lombardo-Venetian lira
893:Falkland Islands pound
667:₶), and the first one-
623:
467:
262:
154:
133:
1348:Solomon Islands pound
1099:French colonial livre
848:Currency units named
618:
465:
131:
1403:Western Samoan pound
1353:South Carolina pound
1268:North Carolina pound
925:South Sudanese pound
441:Louis XIII of France
187:Origin and etymology
50:improve this article
1514:Medieval currencies
1238:New Hampshire pound
1228:New Brunswick pound
1223:Massachusetts pound
505:(gold coin) of 24₶.
498:(gold coin) of 48₶.
436:Seventeenth century
322:LIVRE TOURNOIS SIGN
264:livre carolingienne
255:Portuguese dinheiro
1378:Tripolitanian lira
1363:South African pond
1318:Rhode Island pound
1298:Pennsylvania pound
1273:Nova Scotian pound
1258:Newfoundland pound
918:Saint Helena pound
753:Numismatics portal
633:actions au porteur
624:
468:
458:Eighteenth century
336:Philip II Augustus
134:
1496:
1495:
1253:New Zealand pound
1233:New Guinean pound
1119:Saint Lucia livre
1062:Connecticut pound
945:Ukrainian hryvnia
807:978-0-88968-348-8
707:as its currency.
628:Caisse d'Escompte
496:double Louis d'or
327:
326:
162:Kingdom of France
126:
125:
118:
100:
1541:
1509:Pound (currency)
1338:Sammarinese lira
1243:New Jersey pound
1203:Luxembourg livre
1114:New France livre
1104:Guadeloupe livre
1027:Australian pound
842:
835:
828:
819:
818:
812:
811:
793:
787:
786:
765:
755:
750:
749:
748:
741:
736:
735:
734:
727:
722:
721:
720:
666:
665:
661:
658:
622:for 125₶. (1793)
611:
610:
606:
592:
591:
587:
582:
581:
577:
565:
564:
560:
548:
547:
543:
538:
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528:
527:
523:
323:
320:
317:
315:
291:
290:
267:
159:
121:
114:
110:
107:
101:
99:
58:
34:
26:
1549:
1548:
1544:
1543:
1542:
1540:
1539:
1538:
1499:
1498:
1497:
1492:
1449:
1434:Moneyer's pound
1412:
1323:Rhodesian pound
1283:Palestine pound
1052:Byzantine litra
1037:Bermudian pound
995:
981:Liverpool pound
949:
898:Gibraltar pound
861:
846:
816:
815:
808:
794:
790:
766:
762:
751:
746:
744:
737:
732:
730:
723:
718:
716:
713:
682:Channel Islands
678:
663:
659:
656:
654:
608:
604:
603:
589:
585:
584:
579:
575:
574:
562:
558:
557:
545:
541:
540:
535:
531:
530:
525:
521:
520:
510:demi-Louis d'or
484:Cardinal Fleury
478:In 1726, under
460:
438:
321:
318:
313:
312:
301:
289:
283:
189:
184:
178:
140:(abbreviation:
122:
111:
105:
102:
59:
57:
47:
35:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1547:
1537:
1536:
1531:
1526:
1521:
1516:
1511:
1494:
1493:
1491:
1490:
1485:
1480:
1478:Roman currency
1475:
1469:
1464:
1457:
1455:
1451:
1450:
1448:
1447:
1437:
1431:
1420:
1418:
1414:
1413:
1411:
1410:
1405:
1400:
1398:Virginia pound
1395:
1390:
1385:
1380:
1375:
1370:
1365:
1360:
1355:
1350:
1345:
1343:Sardinian lira
1340:
1335:
1330:
1325:
1320:
1315:
1310:
1305:
1303:Peruvian libra
1300:
1295:
1290:
1285:
1280:
1275:
1270:
1265:
1263:Nigerian pound
1260:
1255:
1250:
1248:New York pound
1245:
1240:
1235:
1230:
1225:
1220:
1218:Maryland pound
1215:
1210:
1208:Malawian pound
1205:
1200:
1195:
1190:
1185:
1180:
1175:
1173:Jamaican pound
1170:
1165:
1164:
1163:
1158:
1148:
1143:
1138:
1136:Ghanaian pound
1133:
1128:
1123:
1122:
1121:
1116:
1111:
1106:
1096:
1095:
1094:
1092:Livre tournois
1089:
1079:
1074:
1072:Delaware pound
1069:
1064:
1059:
1057:Canadian pound
1054:
1049:
1044:
1039:
1034:
1032:Bahamian pound
1029:
1024:
1019:
1014:
1009:
1007:Aeginetan mina
1003:
1001:
997:
996:
994:
993:
988:
983:
978:
973:
968:
963:
957:
955:
951:
950:
948:
947:
942:
937:
932:
930:Sudanese pound
927:
922:
921:
920:
915:
910:
905:
903:Guernsey pound
900:
895:
890:
888:Alderney pound
883:Pound sterling
880:
878:Lebanese pound
875:
873:Egyptian pound
869:
867:
863:
862:
845:
844:
837:
830:
822:
814:
813:
806:
788:
769:Diderot, Denis
759:
758:
757:
756:
742:
728:
712:
709:
677:
674:
599:
598:
567:
550:
513:
506:
499:
459:
456:
437:
434:
411:livre tournois
385:livre tournois
376:livre tournois
340:Angevin Empire
325:
324:
310:
303:
302:
300:Livre tournois
299:
296:
295:
287:Livre tournois
285:Main article:
282:
279:
251:Spanish dinero
213:), each of 12
188:
185:
180:Main article:
177:
174:
124:
123:
106:September 2014
65:"French livre"
38:
36:
29:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1546:
1535:
1532:
1530:
1527:
1525:
1522:
1520:
1517:
1515:
1512:
1510:
1507:
1506:
1504:
1489:
1486:
1484:
1481:
1479:
1476:
1473:
1470:
1468:
1465:
1462:
1459:
1458:
1456:
1454:See also
1452:
1445:
1441:
1438:
1435:
1432:
1429:
1425:
1422:
1421:
1419:
1415:
1409:
1408:Zambian pound
1406:
1404:
1401:
1399:
1396:
1394:
1393:Venetian lira
1391:
1389:
1386:
1384:
1381:
1379:
1376:
1374:
1371:
1369:
1366:
1364:
1361:
1359:
1356:
1354:
1351:
1349:
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1344:
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1331:
1329:
1326:
1324:
1321:
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1304:
1301:
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1289:
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1279:
1276:
1274:
1271:
1269:
1266:
1264:
1261:
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1256:
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1249:
1246:
1244:
1241:
1239:
1236:
1234:
1231:
1229:
1226:
1224:
1221:
1219:
1216:
1214:
1213:Maltese pound
1211:
1209:
1206:
1204:
1201:
1199:
1196:
1194:
1191:
1189:
1186:
1184:
1181:
1179:
1176:
1174:
1171:
1169:
1166:
1162:
1159:
1157:
1154:
1153:
1152:
1149:
1147:
1144:
1142:
1139:
1137:
1134:
1132:
1131:Georgia pound
1129:
1127:
1126:Gambian pound
1124:
1120:
1117:
1115:
1112:
1110:
1109:Haitian livre
1107:
1105:
1102:
1101:
1100:
1097:
1093:
1090:
1088:
1087:Livre parisis
1085:
1084:
1083:
1080:
1078:
1075:
1073:
1070:
1068:
1067:Cypriot pound
1065:
1063:
1060:
1058:
1055:
1053:
1050:
1048:
1045:
1043:
1042:Biafran pound
1040:
1038:
1035:
1033:
1030:
1028:
1025:
1023:
1020:
1018:
1017:Angevin pound
1015:
1013:
1010:
1008:
1005:
1004:
1002:
998:
992:
989:
987:
984:
982:
979:
977:
974:
972:
969:
967:
966:Brixton pound
964:
962:
961:Bristol pound
959:
958:
956:
952:
946:
943:
941:
938:
936:
933:
931:
928:
926:
923:
919:
916:
914:
911:
909:
906:
904:
901:
899:
896:
894:
891:
889:
886:
885:
884:
881:
879:
876:
874:
871:
870:
868:
864:
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829:
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823:
820:
809:
803:
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783:
778:
774:
770:
764:
760:
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743:
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729:
726:
725:France portal
715:
708:
706:
701:
699:
695:
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687:
683:
676:Later history
673:
670:
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648:
643:
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617:
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596:
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568:
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431:
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406:gros d'argent
402:
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243:British pound
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235:modern French
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67: –
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61:Find sources:
55:
51:
45:
44:
39:This article
37:
33:
28:
27:
22:
1472:Pound (mass)
1427:
1388:Vatican lira
1373:Tongan pound
1278:Ottoman lira
1188:Libyan pound
1183:Jersey livre
1151:Italian lira
1146:Israeli lira
1082:French livre
1081:
1077:Fijian pound
991:Totnes pound
986:Stroud pound
971:Exeter pound
940:Turkish lira
935:Syrian pound
908:Jersey pound
860:, or similar
855:
849:
797:
791:
780:
763:
739:Money portal
702:
698:legal tender
686:Jersey livre
679:
644:
637:
631:
625:
619:
600:
594:
509:
495:
482:'s minister
477:
469:
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439:
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374:
364:
350:, including
328:
272:
270:
263:
259:
247:Italian lira
224:
220:
219:. The word
214:
210:
204:
190:
170:West Francia
137:
135:
112:
103:
93:
86:
79:
72:
60:
48:Please help
43:verification
40:
1424:Roman pound
1383:Tuscan lira
1333:Roman pound
1308:Pound Scots
1293:Parman lira
1198:Luccan lira
976:Lewes pound
866:Circulating
630:in 1776 as
403:and silver
193:Charlemagne
1503:Categories
1461:Pound sign
1288:Papal lira
1168:Jaca pound
1141:Irish punt
1022:Attic mina
913:Manx pound
711:References
503:Louis d'or
449:Louis d'or
76:newspapers
1436:(England)
639:assignats
447:and gold
344:King John
620:Assignat
480:Louis XV
473:John Law
413:and the
400:écu d'or
395:Louis IX
371:Touraine
360:Touraine
352:Normandy
319:₶
306:In
253:and the
239:denarius
1440:Grzywna
1012:AM-Lira
1000:Defunct
662:⁄
647:Year II
607:⁄
588:⁄
578:⁄
561:⁄
544:⁄
534:⁄
524:⁄
348:England
308:Unicode
216:deniers
176:History
166:Francia
90:scholar
1444:Grivna
804:
690:Jersey
684:. The
571:denier
422:francs
415:denier
358:, and
332:Troyes
316:
314:U+20B6
209:(also
201:silver
150:French
92:
85:
78:
71:
63:
1467:Dinar
1428:libra
851:pound
777:"ABR"
694:pound
669:franc
651:franc
595:liard
367:Tours
356:Anjou
342:from
274:liber
231:pound
226:libra
221:livre
197:pound
156:libra
138:livre
97:JSTOR
83:books
857:lira
802:ISBN
705:euro
583:and
569:the
552:the
539:and
515:the
508:the
501:the
494:the
488:mark
211:sols
206:sous
168:and
152:for
136:The
69:news
1488:£sd
1474:(℔)
1463:(£)
696:as
554:sou
517:écu
445:écu
430:écu
369:in
346:of
233:in
199:of
144:or
52:by
1505::
854:,
779:.
775:.
771:;
700:.
664:80
597:).
563:20
529:,
417:.
362:.
354:,
257:.
249:,
245:,
148:,
146:₶.
1446:)
1442:(
1430:)
1426:(
841:e
834:t
827:v
810:.
660:1
657:+
655:1
609:6
605:1
590:2
586:1
580:4
576:1
559:1
546:8
542:1
536:4
532:1
526:2
522:1
294:₶
142:£
119:)
113:(
108:)
104:(
94:·
87:·
80:·
73:·
46:.
23:.
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