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1/2 Teston - Henry II and Margaret of Valois
| Issuer | Béarn, Lordship of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1576 |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Facing busts of Henry II of Navarre and Margaret of Valois in profile, arranged face to face at center. A royal crown is depicted above the busts, and a cow — the traditional emblem of Béarn — appears below. The surrounding circular legend in Latin reads HENRICVS II D G REX NAVARRE DB. The style is characteristic of hammered French feudal silver coinage of the mid-sixteenth century. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Béarn occupied a peculiar constitutional position in the sixteenth century — technically a sovereign viscountcy owing no feudal obligation to the French crown, which is precisely why its lords could strike their own silver coinage long after such rights had been consolidated elsewhere. Henry II of Navarre, who held Béarn through his mother Catherine de Foix's line, married Margaret of Valois in 1527, and joint-name issues like this half teston reflect the political importance of visibly advertising that dynastic alliance on the coinage. The Pau mint produced these in limited volume.
Schlumberger's cataloguing of Béarn coinage remains the foundational reference for this series, with PA3464 cross-referencing confirming the type.