10 Euros Louis XI

Louis XI died in 1483, having spent much of his reign methodically dismantling the great feudal lordships that had paralyzed French royal authority for generations. His instrument of choice was rarely the battlefield — he preferred bribery, diplomatic manipulation, and waiting out his enemies. The annexation of Burgundy following Charles the Bold's death at Nancy in 1477 was his single greatest territorial gain, achieved largely by outlasting a rival rather than defeating one.

This issue belongs to the Monnaie de Paris "Rois de France" series, which cycled through French monarchs across multiple years.