Denier THIBAUT IV LE GRAND

Thibaut IV of Blois — count of Blois, Chartres, and Châteaudun simultaneously — was one of the most powerful magnates in northern France during the reign of Louis VI, frequently in open conflict with the Capetian crown over control of the Loire valley. The Châteaudun mint operated under this contested authority, producing deniers that circulated as much as political statements as exchange instruments. Thibaut's epithet "le Grand" was not honorific flattery; he governed territories larger than many contemporary kingdoms.