Pistole
Encyclopedia
Pistole is the French name given to a Spanish
gold coin
in use in 1537; it was a double escudo
, the gold unit. The name was also given to the Louis d'Or
of Louis XIII
of France, and to other European gold coins of about the value of the Spanish coin. One pistole was worth approximately ten livres
.
In Dumas' The Three Musketeers
, set in the 1620s, we learn that one hundred pistoles were worth a thousand livres tournois when Athos bargains for the horse he takes to the battle of La Rochelle. (GF Flammarion edition, p. 396) Since six livres were worth a French ecu, one hundred pistoles is worth
166.7 ecus. (One livre was also worth one franc
when the latter were issued about 1641. The franc was in turn replaced by the louis d'or
.)
A coin with this name was minted in Scotland
in 1701, under William II
, with a weight of 106 grains (6.84g ca.) and a value of 12 scottish pounds.
The coin gave its name to the town of Trois-Pistoles, Quebec
, where according to local legend, an explorer lost a goblet worth three pistoles in the river.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
gold coin
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
in use in 1537; it was a double escudo
Spanish escudo
-Gold escudo:The first escudo was a gold coin introduced in 1535/1537, with coins denominated in escudos issued until 1833. It was initially worth 16 reales...
, the gold unit. The name was also given to the Louis d'Or
Louis d'or
The Louis d'or is any number of French coins first introduced by Louis XIII in 1640. The name derives from the depiction of the portrait of King Louis on one side of the coin; the French royal coat of arms is on the reverse...
of Louis XIII
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
of France, and to other European gold coins of about the value of the Spanish coin. One pistole was worth approximately ten livres
French livre
The livre was the currency of France until 1795. Several different livres existed, some concurrently. The livre was the name of both units of account and coins.-Etymology:...
.
In Dumas' The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, first serialized in March–July 1844. Set in the 17th century, it recounts the adventures of a young man named d'Artagnan after he leaves home to travel to Paris, to join the Musketeers of the Guard...
, set in the 1620s, we learn that one hundred pistoles were worth a thousand livres tournois when Athos bargains for the horse he takes to the battle of La Rochelle. (GF Flammarion edition, p. 396) Since six livres were worth a French ecu, one hundred pistoles is worth
166.7 ecus. (One livre was also worth one franc
Franc
The franc is the name of several currency units, most notably the Swiss franc, still a major world currency today due to the prominence of Swiss financial institutions and the former currency of France, the French franc until the Euro was adopted in 1999...
when the latter were issued about 1641. The franc was in turn replaced by the louis d'or
Louis d'or
The Louis d'or is any number of French coins first introduced by Louis XIII in 1640. The name derives from the depiction of the portrait of King Louis on one side of the coin; the French royal coat of arms is on the reverse...
.)
A coin with this name was minted in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1701, under William II
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
, with a weight of 106 grains (6.84g ca.) and a value of 12 scottish pounds.
The coin gave its name to the town of Trois-Pistoles, Quebec
Trois-Pistoles, Quebec
Trois-Pistoles is a town in and the seat of the Les Basques Regional County Municipality within the Bas-Saint-Laurent region of Quebec. It is also the county seat. The town is located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River....
, where according to local legend, an explorer lost a goblet worth three pistoles in the river.