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Franc on foot - Joanna I 4th type
| Issuer | Provence, County of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1343-1382 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Full-length crowned effigy of Queen Joanna I standing facing within a Gothic architectural canopy flanked by two slender columns or sceptres, the field decorated with fleurs-de-lis. The figure is shown in regal attire, holding the attributes of sovereignty, the whole set upon a decorated base. The design is executed in the characteristic hammered Gothic style of 14th-century Provençal coinage. A circular legend in uncial Latin characters surrounds the entire composition. |
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| Reverse description | A large floriated cross pattée at centre, set within a cusped quadrilobe or lozenge frame adorned with trefoils and fleurs-de-lis in each spandrel, characteristic of the Franc à pied type. The ornate cross is richly decorated with small floral motifs at each terminal. The entire design is enclosed within a circular border carrying the uncial Latin legend of the countess of Provence and Forcalquier. The execution is typical of 14th-century hammered southern French feudal gold coinage. |
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| Additional information |
Joanna I of Naples ruled Provence from 1343 until her murder in 1382, a reign defined by political instability — including her sale of Avignon to the papacy in 1348 for 80,000 florins, a transaction that permanently reshaped the region's political geography. The franc à pied type she issued borrowed directly from royal French coinage, specifically the franc à pied introduced by Jean II in 1360, a deliberate act of monetary alignment with the French crown at a moment when Joanna needed allies.
Rolland's classification distinguishes at least four types across her Provençal issues, with the 4th type representing the later portion of her reign, after the outbreak of the Great Schism in 1378 had thrown her political alliances into disarray.