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¼ Ecu - Henry IV
| Issuer | France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1589-1610 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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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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| Obverse lettering | HENRICVS IIII D G FRANC REX |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Henry IV's early coinage was issued under the most contested royal legitimacy France had seen in generations. When he acceded in 1589, roughly a third of the country — including Paris — refused to recognize a Protestant king, and the Catholic League controlled enough mints that his monetary authority was fragmentary for years. He didn't enter Paris until 1594, after his pragmatic conversion, famously remarked upon as costing no more than a mass.
The quarter ecu denomination carried forward the weight standard codified under Henri II, but production across Henry IV's reign was chaotic, distributed among provincial mints operating under wildly inconsistent supervision. The Gadoury R1 designation flags genuine rarity — R1 pieces from troubled provincial houses see minimal auction appearances.