Écu Pistolet 9 Rays

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.