Gold Ecu with sun - Francis I 2nd type, 3rd emission

The "écu au soleil" denomination was formally established under Louis XII, but it was Francis I who presided over its most politically charged years of production. His Italian campaigns and rivalry with Charles V created constant pressure on royal finances, and gold coinage was repeatedly adjusted in weight and fineness to manage war expenditure without visibly debasing the currency. The third emission of this type falls squarely within the period of the Habsburg-Valois wars.

Struck across multiple mints simultaneously, attribution of individual pieces to specific workshops depends entirely on the mint mark — a detail the Gadoury and Duplessy references treat with some variation.