Écu au soleil - Francis I of France

This piece dates to the occupation of Genoa by French forces under Francis I, who seized the city in 1527 and imposed French monetary authority on the republic. The écu au soleil was the standard French gold issue of the period, and Genoa was compelled to strike it locally — making these coins a direct artifact of military occupation rather than Genoese monetary policy. The arrangement lasted barely two years before Andrea Doria expelled the French and realigned Genoa with Charles V.

The CNI III attribution places this among a small documented group, and the brief striking window of a single fiscal year tightens the production period considerably.