Double Tournois - Louis XIII Lyon mint, 3rd type

The Double Tournois was the workhorse of everyday French commerce — a coin handled by peasants, market vendors, and tavern keepers far more than by anyone keeping records. Louis XIII was still a child when this type was struck at Lyon, with the regency government of Marie de Médicis managing royal finances through the turbulent aftermath of Henri IV's assassination in 1610. The Lyon mint, one of the more prolific provincial houses, operated under strict weight ordinances that were routinely ignored in practice, making minor weight variations across the type entirely expected.