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Écu Pistolet 9 Rays
| Issuer | City of Geneva |
|---|---|
| Year | 1575-1586 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 3.31 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A radiant sun at centre, from which nine undulating flame-like rays extend outward toward the border of the coin, filling the field in a bold and dynamic design emblematic of the Reformed city-state of Geneva. At the centre of the sun, the Christogram IHS is prominently displayed within a beaded inner circle, with a small heart and three nails beneath. A mintmaster's initial appears in the upper field. The surrounding circular Latin legend references the Protestant motto 'Post Tenebras Lux' (After Darkness, Light). |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Geneva struck this gold écu during a period of acute political pressure from Savoy, whose duke, Emmanuel-Philibert, had spent decades attempting to reassert control over the city. The mint was central to that resistance — issuing coinage in Geneva's own name was an explicit assertion of independence, not an administrative routine. The nine-ray sun was a deliberate civic choice, distinguishing Genevan output from both Savoyard and French royal issues circulating in the same region.
Production spanned the tenure of several moneyers, and die workmanship varies noticeably across the issue. Fr#249 cross-references this type within a small group of Swiss city-state gold that saw almost no debasement during the period.