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Douzain of Dauphiné - Louis XII
| Issuer | France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1475 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin (uncial) |
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| Reverse description | A prominent long cross divides the field into four quadrants, each containing alternating charges of a fleur-de-lis and a dolphin, referencing the dual royal and dauphinois authority of the issuer. The cross terminates within a beaded inner circle, and the surrounding uncial Latin legend SIT NOMEN DNI BENEDITVM encircles the design, a devotional phrase meaning 'Blessed be the name of the Lord.' The overall composition is characteristic of late medieval French provincial billon coinage, struck on an irregular hammered flan. |
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| Additional information |
The attribution to Louis XII is technically a misnomer that has persisted in older references — this issue dates to 1475, during the reign of Louis XI, and was struck for the Dauphiné, the southeastern province whose monetary administration operated with considerable autonomy from the royal mint system. The Dauphiné had been ceded to the French crown by Humbert II in 1349 specifically on the condition that the heir to the throne bear the title Dauphin, a constitutional arrangement that carried with it distinct regional coinage rights exercised intermittently for well over a century.
The Ciani gap in references suggests this type remained poorly documented in earlier general surveys of French billon coinage.