Gold Ecu with sun - Charles VIII 2nd issue: initial lilies

The second issue of Charles VIII's Ecu au soleil dates to the years immediately following his Italian campaign of 1494 — a military adventure that exposed the French court to Renaissance art and coin design, though the Ecu itself retained its established Carolingian-influenced structure. Charles entered Naples in February 1495 with virtually no resistance, only to see his gains dissolve within months under the League of Venice.

The "initial lilies" designation distinguishes this emission from adjacent issues by the placement of fleurs-de-lis as mint differentials, a system the French royal administration used to track production accountability across multiple active ateliers.