Gold Ecu with sun of Dauphine - Francis I 1st type, 3rd emission

Francis I inherited a monetary system still shaped by his predecessors' adjustments, but the "with sun" écus represent his own administration's early attempts to stabilize gold coinage after years of debasement pressure. The Dauphiné sun privy mark locates this emission specifically within the Grenoble mint's output — a regional authority operating under royal license at a moment when Francis was consolidating control over the great provincial mints following his accession in 1515.

The third emission designation reflects an ordinance-driven recoinage cycle, not a design change. Gadoury's R1 rarity rating confirms these survive in genuinely small numbers.