The 2006 film "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" is a German horror fantasy film about an early 18th century French male serial killer who murders women to extract their "essense" to make a special perfume. The film is set mostly in Paris. There is a scene early in the film where some French money appears on a table. Later some French silver ecus (5 franc coins) of King Louis XV (AD 1715-1774) appear and one is dated 1727. Along with the ecus are some copper coins.

The film opens at a town square in front of a civic building.

A crowd has gathered to witness the public execution of convicted murderer Jean-Baptiste Grenouille.

Jean-Baptiste's story then unfolds. Jean-Baptiste is born in a poor section of Paris and the infant is sent to an orphanage. He discovers that he has a superhuman sense of smell. When he is old enough to work he is sent to an employer as an apprentice. When he is older he is sent to deliver goods to Paris where he enjoys the scents. He spots a pretty girl and attempts to sniff her but when she starts to scream he covers her mouth killing her. He then smells her and retains a memory of her. Jean-Baptiste is sent to make a delivery to a perfume shop owned by Giuseppe Baldini.

Jean-Baptiste impresses Giuseppe with his abilities and is hired as an assistant.

Jean-Baptiste invents new perfumes and Baldini's business improves bringing in more money.

The coins on the table are hard to identify but would be French coins of the period. Baldini's clientele now includes the wealthy aristocrats.

More and larger money is coming in.

The large silver coins are French silver ecus (5 franc coins) of King Louis XV (AD 1715-1774) and the one at the top right is dated 1727. Silver half ecus also appear along with smaller copper sols. The coins are either authentic or good imitations.

Silver, 41 mm, 28.15 gm
Obverse: Louis XV facing left, LUD XV DG FR - ET NAV REX
Reverse: Crowned shield of France in wreath, SIT NOMEN DOMINI BENEDICTUM 1772
Mint mark 'L' (Bayonne) at bottom (hard to read)

Baldini sends Jean-Baptiste to the town of Grasse but after Jean-Baptiste leaves Baldini is killed in an accident. Jean-Baptiste walks into the country and moves into a cave. He discovers that he cannot smell his own body and leaves the cave. He encounters Antoine Richis and his daughter, the pretty Laure Richis, and becomes enchanged by her aroma.

Jean-Baptiste decides to create a new perfume based on distilling the scents of twelve women and then adding Laure's scent. His method involves killing the women and extracting their scents with a device he has invented. When the bodies begin appearing the authorities begin a manhunt for the killer. Jean-Baptiste has completed the twelve scents and now goes after Laure. Antoine Richis takes Laure to a place in the country but Jean-Baptiste is able to find her.

A group of policemen appear and arrest Jean-Baptiste who is taken to the town jail and quickly convicted and sentenced to death. He manages to keep his small vial of the special perfume with him.

Jean-Baptiste applies some perfume to himself and the aroma is so strong everyone in the area is affected. The executioner apologies to him and the crowd riots.

Jean-Baptiste walks through the crowd and returns to the place of his birth. His scent causes another riot.

This time the mob attacks Jean-Baptiste and kills him, leaving only his vial with one drop of scent.

Ben Whishaw as Jean-Baptiste Grenouille
Dustin Hoffman as Giuseppe Baldini
Alan Rickman as Antoine Richis
Rachel Hurd-Wood as Laure Richis
Director: Tom Tykwer
Writers: Andrew Birkin, Bernd Eichinger, Tom Tykwer
Based on the 1985 novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind