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1/2 Teston of Dauphine - Francis I 1st type
| Issuer | France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1515-1540 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Teston (1/4 LT) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Quartered shield of Dauphine, displaying in the upper dexter quarter the arms of France ancient (semee of fleurs-de-lis) and in the upper sinister quarter the dolphin of Dauphine, with corresponding charges repeated in the lower quarters, the whole surmounted by a small royal crown at the chief. The shield is set within a beaded inner circle and surrounded by the abbreviated Latin devotional legend NON NOBIS DNE SED NOMINI TVO DA GLORIAM, with pellet stops, partially legible around the irregular flan. |
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| Reverse lettering | NO NOBIS DNE SED NOI TVO DA GLO (Translation: Not unto us, O Lord, but to thy name give the glory.) |
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| Additional information |
Francis I inherited the Dauphiné not through conquest but through the French crown's absorption of the province in 1349, when Humbert II sold his territories to the future Charles V rather than face bankruptcy. The Dauphiné retained distinct minting privileges for generations afterward, and this half teston reflects that administrative separateness — struck in the name of Francis as Dauphin-turned-King under regional monetary authority rather than the central royal mint network.
The teston itself was a relatively new denomination in France at this date, introduced in the late fifteenth century as French mints attempted to produce a large silver coin competitive with Italian grosso-type issues flooding across the Alps.