The Department of Coins, Medals, and Antiquities at the National Library of France (Bibliothèque Nationale) boasts the world’s most extraordinary collection of French royal gold coins.

A new two-volume set recently published by Editions Gadoury of Monaco and the National Library is virtually a catalog of that collection, including its many extremely rare and unique pieces.

The 320 pages in volume 1 of Catalogue de Monnaies Royales Françaises lists and describes the gold coinage of Louis IX to Louis XII (1226 to 1514).

The second volume is 304 pages and focuses on the gold coins from the reigns of François I to Louis XVI (1515 to 1793).

Coins are fully described, in French, with 1,000 illustrations in color and in actual size. The date, weight, and how each piece was acquired are cited, as are cross references. There is also a bibliography.

Expert author

The catalog is compiled by Jean-Yves Kind, an archivist and former special advisor on the Conservation of Treaties at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has managed the French coin collection at the National Library of France since 2009. He is a prolific author of numerous books and articles on numismatics, primarily published in the Revue Numismatique and the Bulletin of the French Numismatic Society.

Each hard-bound book measures 12 inches tall and 8.25 inches wide. The set comes in a slipcase and will be available in August. It costs $135, plus $7.75 shipping and handling to addresses in the United States.

To order or learn more, visit the distributor website, www.coin-currency.com.

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