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1/2 Gold Henri - Henry II 1st type, damascened breastplate
| Issuer | France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1552-1558 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Livre tournois (987-1795) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Armored bust of Henry II facing right, wearing a richly decorated damascened breastplate with intricate inlaid ornamental work. The king is depicted bearded, with short hair, the armor rendered in fine detail consistent with the Renaissance artistic style of the French royal court. The royal legend encircles the effigy along the coin's periphery, interrupted at the base of the truncation. The overall execution reflects the high-quality craftsmanship associated with the Paris and Rouen mints under the reign of Henry II. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The Henri d'or and its half were introduced by royal edict in 1549, replacing the écu au soleil as France's primary gold denomination — a deliberate monetary reform tied to Henry II's broader effort to assert administrative control over coinage standards that had grown inconsistent across the realm. The "damascened breastplate" designation distinguishes this first type from the second, the difference residing in the engraved armor detail on the royal effigy, a distinction fine enough that contemporaries rarely noted it but significant enough to generate separate catalog entries four centuries later.