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1 Gold Ecu - Henry II
| Issuer | France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1547-1548 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
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| Obverse description | Central field dominated by the crowned royal arms of France — a shield semé of fleurs-de-lis — surmounted by an ornate Gothic crown with fleur-de-lis finials. The shield is set within a raised inner circle, with a mint mark positioned at the base. The peripheral legend in Gothic-style Latin capitals runs along the outer border, separated from the inner device by a beaded circle, reading the king's royal titulature. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | HENRICVS D G FRANCORVM REX E (Translation: Henry II, by God`s grace, King of the Franks.) |
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| Additional information |
Henry II inherited the French throne in March 1547 and immediately faced pressure to assert fiscal legitimacy distinct from his father Francis I. The gold écu au soleil had been the backbone of royal coinage for decades, but Henry's early issues — struck across multiple mints simultaneously — show considerable variation in execution, a direct consequence of decentralized production under the *Ordonnance* system where provincial mint masters held significant autonomy.
The Dy968 attribution covers a narrow window before Henry's monetary reforms tightened specifications in subsequent years.