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½ Ecu - Henry IV
| Issuer | France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1589 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | Central shield of France bearing three fleurs-de-lis in semé arrangement, surmounted by a large royal crown with floral finials and pendants. Flanking the shield on either side are crowned royal monograms composed of the letter 'H' beneath a small crown, referencing Henry IV. The circumferential Latin legend CHRS VINCIT CHRS REGNAT CHRS IMPT — the ancient Laudes Regiae acclamation meaning 'Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands' — encircles the design. The date 1589 is inscribed in the lower field beneath the shield. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded border. |
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| Mintage | 1589 C |
| Additional information |
Henry IV's accession in 1589 was anything but settled — as a Protestant king inheriting a Catholic throne, he faced immediate rejection from the Catholic League and a rival claimant in Cardinal de Bourbon. Coinage struck in his name during these early years was issued from royalist-held mints only, the rest of France effectively under hostile control. His famous conversion to Catholicism came four years later, in 1593.
The Gadoury R1 designation signals genuine rarity. The "R1" classification in that reference places surviving examples among the scarcest of the reign's silver issues.