½ Franc - Henry IV

1590 was among the most chaotic years of the French Wars of Religion — Henry IV had claimed the throne the previous year following the assassination of Henry III, but Paris itself remained under Catholic League control and refused to recognize him. Royal mint output was severely disrupted, and several provincial mints struck coinage in Henry's name while the capital held out. The attribution to Monnaie de Paris for this year should be treated with scrutiny; some pieces assigned to Paris in older references were struck at Tours or other royalist-held facilities.

The Gadoury R1 rarity rating is not decorative.