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½ Franc - Henry IV
| Issuer | France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1602-1604 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | ½ Franc |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Laureate and draped bust of Henry IV facing right, with a fleur-de-lis positioned behind the head in the left field. The effigy portrays the king with a ruffled collar and armor visible at the shoulder. The circular Latin legend reads HENRICVS IIII D G FRANC ET NAVA REX, identifying the king as Henry IV by the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre. The mint mark R (Villeneuve-lès-Avignon) appears in the lower field beneath the bust. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Henry IV's half-franc issues of the early 1600s were struck against a backdrop of monetary reconstruction following the Wars of Religion, which had left French coinage in a state of chronic debasement and counterfeiting. The 1602–1604 dates correspond to a period of active ordonnance reform under Sully, who was systematically overhauling royal finances after decades of civil war expenditure.
Multiple provincial mints struck this type simultaneously, each identified by a distinct mint mark — accounting for the considerable variation in surface quality and die workmanship collectors encounter across examples.