Georges de Saluces was appointed Bishop of Lausanne in 1440 after a prolonged dispute over the succession — the chapter had initially elected another candidate, and ducal pressure from Savoy ultimately forced the outcome in Georges's favor. His coinage reflects the bishop's precarious position between Savoyard ambition and the city's own civic interests throughout the 1440s and 1450s.
The demi gros denomination was itself a response to chronic small-change shortages plaguing the western Swiss plateau during this period, when Savoyard monetary policy repeatedly disrupted local exchange.
Georges de Saluces was appointed Bishop of Lausanne in 1440 after a prolonged dispute over the succession — the chapter had initially elected another candidate, and ducal pressure from Savoy ultimately forced the outcome in Georges's favor. His coinage reflects the bishop's precarious position between Savoyard ambition and the city's own civic interests throughout the 1440s and 1450s.
The demi gros denomination was itself a response to chronic small-change shortages plaguing the western Swiss plateau during this period, when Savoyard monetary policy repeatedly disrupted local exchange.