1/2 Gold Écu 'with Eagle' - Louis II de Male

Louis II de Male struck this coin during a period of acute political pressure from both France and England — Flanders, as a cloth-manufacturing economy dependent on English wool, was perpetually caught between the two crowns. The eagle type reflects a deliberate imperial alignment, distancing the issue visually from French monetary influence at a moment when Louis was actively resisting Valois dominance following his father's death at Crécy in 1346.

The .969 fineness is exceptionally high for a mid-14th century Flemish issue and points to a mint attempting to compete directly with Florentine and French gold on the international merchant circuit.