1/4 Ecu - Henry IV 4th type

Henry IV's quarter écu coinage was reorganized multiple times during his reign as the crown struggled to stabilize French silver after decades of civil war had gutted the monetary system. The "4th type" designation reflects successive modifications to the royal arms arrangement, driven partly by administrative decree and partly by the practical need to distinguish new issues from the debased and clipped coins still circulating from the Wars of Religion.

Production was spread across numerous provincial mints simultaneously — a deliberate policy to accelerate recoinage rather than a logistical convenience. Mint marks from this period vary considerably, and the specific striking facility materially affects survival rates.