Double Tournois - Francis I 2nd type

The double tournois as a denomination traces its origins to the small silver denier tournois struck at Tours, but by Francis I's reign it had degraded so far in fineness that calling it silver requires generous interpretation. This 2nd type variant represents a brief window of production — two years at most — distinguishing it from the more commonly encountered 1st and 3rd types by subtle die characteristics catalogued under Duplessy 868 bis, a "bis" suffix that itself signals the type was identified as an afterthought to the primary classification.

Francis I's monetary policy during the late 1530s was shaped partly by war expenditure against Charles V. The Ciani unlisted status confirms how seldom this specific type surfaces.