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Douzain with salamander and small cross - Francis I
| Issuer | Kingdom of France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1540-1547 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Douzain (1⁄20 LT) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field displays the crowned royal arms of France, an oval shield bearing three fleurs-de-lis, flanked on either side by a salamander in flames, the emblem of Francis I. The shield is surmounted by a royal crown. The mint mark X (for Villefranche-de-Rouergue) appears in the lower field beneath the shield. The entire central device is encircled by a beaded inner border, with the royal legend running in the outer margin. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Mintage | ND (1540-1547) B - - ND (1540-1547) F - - ND (1540-1547) K - - ND (1540-1547) M - - ND (1540-1547) N - - ND (1540-1547) X - - |
| Additional information |
The douzain aux salamandres was introduced by Francis I in 1513 and remained in production across multiple mints for decades, but the later issues of 1540–1547 reflect a monetary ordinance that tightened billon fineness standards in response to widespread counterfeiting and the circulation of debased foreign imitations. Francis was obsessive about monetary control — he issued more currency ordinances than any French king before him — and the salamander mintmark variants from this final period show measurable die differences across provincial mints, particularly between Lyon and Paris.