1/2 Écu d'or du Dauphiné - Louis XIII

The Monnaie de Grenoble operated under perpetual administrative suspicion from Paris throughout the seventeenth century — its remote Alpine position made oversight difficult and counterfeiting allegations recurrent. This fractional écu was struck during the final years of Louis XIII's reign, when Richelieu's wars across multiple fronts were straining royal finances and regional mints were pressed into service to supplement Parisian output. Grenoble's production volumes were never high, and the Dauphiné-specific designation reflects the province's historically distinct monetary administration, a privilege fiercely defended by local parlementaires long after similar regional exemptions had been abolished elsewhere.