Guy of Châtillon, Count of Saint-Pol, issued this franc à pied in direct imitation of the French royal franc à pied introduced by John II in 1360 — itself created to fund John's own ransom after his capture at Poitiers. For a minor northern French county to strike gold coinage of this type required explicit or tacit royal permission, and Guy's close ties to the Valois court made that plausible. Saint-Pol's independent gold issues are rare survivals; the county's mint output was modest and its activity in this format brief.
Guy of Châtillon, Count of Saint-Pol, issued this franc à pied in direct imitation of the French royal franc à pied introduced by John II in 1360 — itself created to fund John's own ransom after his capture at Poitiers. For a minor northern French county to strike gold coinage of this type required explicit or tacit royal permission, and Guy's close ties to the Valois court made that plausible. Saint-Pol's independent gold issues are rare survivals; the county's mint output was modest and its activity in this format brief.