The invention comprises coumarin derivatives of the general formula where R1 is an alkyl radical of not more than three carbon atoms and the manufacture of these derivatives by condensing an alkali metal derivative of an aralkyl malonic ester of the formula where R2 represents an alkyl group of not more than three carbon atoms with an acetyl-salicylic halide (preferably the chloride) to give a product of the formula treating this with an alkali-metal alcoholate at a low temperature to give a compound of the formula and hydrolysing and decarboxylating, e.g. by heating with an alkali metal alcoholate or a dilute mineral acid to give the desired 4-hydroxy - coumarin. Alternatively the a - aralkyl-a -(acetylsalicyloyl) malonic ester produced in the first condensation step may be converted directly to the desired 4-hydroxycoumarin without isolation of the intermediate products by heating in an organic solvent with an acidic or basic agent such as an alkali metal alcoholate, e.g. sodium methylate or a dilute acid, e.g. sulphuric acid. In examples: (1) the sodium derivative of diethyl (11-phenylethyl) malonate is treated with acetylsalicylic acid chloride to give 1-(21-acetoxybenzoyl)-1-(11-phenylethyl) malonic acid diethyl ester which is heated with dilute sulphuric acid in ethanol to give 3-(11-phenylethyl)-4-hydroxy-coumarin; (2) diethyl (11-phenylpropyl)-malonate sodium derivative and acetyl salicylic acid chloride are reacted as in (1) to give diethyl 1-(21-acetoxybenzoyl - 1 - (11 - phenylpropyl) - malonate which is treated with sodium methylate to give 3 - carbethoxy - 3 - (11 - phenylpropyl) - 4 - ketodihydrocoumarin which is hydrolysed and decarboxylated by heating with aqueous sodium hydroxide to give 3 - (11 - phenylpropyl) - 4 - hydroxy-coumarin; and (3) a -phenyl-butyl bromide is reacted with diethyl malonate to give diethyl (11-phenylbutyl-malonate) which is converted to its sodium derivative and reacted with acetyl-salicylic acid chloride as in (1) to give diethyl 1-(21-acetoxybenzoyl)-1-(11-phenylbutyl)-malonate which is treated with sodium methylate to give 2-(11-phenylbutyl)-4-hydroxycoumarin.