Gold Ecu with sun - Henry IV Type 2

Henry IV struck this type while simultaneously fighting to secure a kingdom he had technically inherited but did not yet control. The Wars of Religion had left royal finances in ruins, and the early dates of this issue overlap with years when significant portions of France — including Paris itself, not surrendered until 1594 — remained in League hands. Coins of this type were produced at numerous provincial mints, and the sun privy mark distinguishing this type from its predecessor was not merely decorative; French royal mints used such marks systematically to track die production and accountability.

Sully's subsequent monetary reforms under Henry tightened mint discipline considerably, making the administrative chaos of the earliest dates within this range archaeologically visible in die alignment inconsistencies.