Denier Tournois - Charles VIII

Charles VIII came to the throne at age thirteen, with his older sister Anne de Beaujeu effectively governing France through his minority. The Denier Tournois — a denomination whose design traced back to the abbey of Saint-Martin de Tours and had been minted more or less continuously since the twelfth century — continued largely unchanged under his regency government, a monetary conservatism that reflected the political instability of the period rather than any particular intention.

Duplessy 605 is not a rare type, but surviving examples in decent condition are less common than mintage volumes would suggest; the low silver content made these coins expendable in daily transactions and few were preserved by contemporary collectors.