3 Sols

Geneva struck billon coinage under its own municipal authority throughout the seventeenth century, a privilege jealously maintained against repeated pressure from both Savoyard and French interests. The 3 Sols denomination served the city's internal small-change economy at a moment when Geneva's role as a Reformed Protestant stronghold made it politically isolated but commercially active — a hub for refugees, bankers, and watchmakers already beginning to reshape its economy.

The HMZ reference places this squarely within the documented Geneva billon series. Billon quality varied considerably across issues of this period as the city managed silver content pragmatically against bullion availability.