The écu aux lauriers was a very popular trade coin – not only in France, its country of origin, but also in Switzerland and Germany. The name derived from the two leaves of laurel surrounding the crest on the reverse. This écu was minted in 1789, the year of the French Revolution! Its minting authority, King Louis XVI (1774-1792), was the last king of France. He was swept off his throne in 1792 by the revolution, and executed in 1793.