Sou

About This Coin

Rooted in France's medieval monetary system, the sou was a fundamental copper denomination equivalent to twelve deniers that served as the workhorse of everyday commerce across France's colonial empire in North America. French colonial sous circulated in Louisiana, Quebec, Acadia, and the Illinois Country from the late 17th century through 1763, continuing informally long after. The denomination derives from the Latin solidus, connecting it to a monetary lineage stretching to the Roman Empire. Colonial sous were typically struck at French provincial mints — particularly Rouen, La Rochelle, and Lyon — distinguished by mintmark letters that allow numismatists to trace each coin's origin. The series encompasses multiple types including the "Gloriam Regni" issues of Louis XIV, copper sous marques, and billon (silver-copper alloy) sous. These coins document monetary circulation patterns in pre-Revolution North America, revealing the economic infrastructure of French colonial settlements from the Saint Lawrence valley to the Gulf of Mexico. For colonial American coinage collectors, French sous offer an affordable entry into a series that contextualizes American numismatic history within European colonial monetary systems.