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Gold Ecu - Catherine of Navarre
| Issuer | Béarn, Lordship of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1483-1484 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Central crowned shield bearing two cows passant, the arms of Béarn, with a Gothic letter K flanking each side of the shield in the field. The shield is surmounted by an ornate crown with fleurs and trefoil finials. The entire central device is enclosed within a double beaded inner circle, surrounded by a Gothic Latin legend in the outer margin. The style is characteristic of late 15th-century French feudal hammered coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | ✣ DOMIՈVS ⵓ ILLVMIՈATIO ⵓ MEA ⵓ ET ⵓ SALVS (Translation: The Lord is my light and salvation.) |
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| Additional information |
Catherine of Navarre inherited Béarn and Navarre in 1483 following the death of her brother Francis Phoebus, who died at fifteen under circumstances considered suspicious even at the time. She was twelve years old. The right to strike gold coinage in Béarn derived from the lordship's ancient privileges, technically independent of the French crown — a jurisdictional anomaly that survived well into the early modern period.
The issue dates place this ecu within the regency years before Catherine reached majority, meaning the coinage was authorized and administered on her behalf.