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Carolus 4th type with CAROLVS QVINTVS
| Issuer | Free Imperial City of Besançon |
|---|---|
| Year | 1594-1616 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Crowned and armored bust of Emperor Charles V facing right, depicted in a crude late-medieval style characteristic of hammered billon coinage. The emperor wears an elaborate crown above a visored helmet, with draped armor visible at the shoulders. The bust occupies the central field, rendered in low relief with bold, somewhat stylized features. A partial Latin legend surrounds the effigy, partially obscured by the irregular flan edge. The overall die work reflects the provincial engraving tradition of the Besançon mint. |
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| Obverse lettering | + CAROLVS : QVINTVS : IMPERATOR (Translation: Charles V, emperor.) |
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| Additional information |
Besançon occupied a uniquely stubborn constitutional position — nominally within the Burgundian inheritance of the Habsburgs yet fiercely protective of its free city status, which it defended through centuries of legal wrangling with both Spain and the Empire. Striking coins in the name of Charles V decades after his 1558 abdication and death was a deliberate political act: by invoking his authority rather than Philip II's or later Philip III's, the city asserted its imperial — not Spanish — allegiance.
The Carolus series ran across multiple types well into the seventeenth century, this fourth type spanning over two decades of production. Billon this debased was essentially fiduciary coinage operating on local trust rather than intrinsic value.