Grand Blanc - Francis I 4th type

The Grand Blanc underwent several redesigns under Francis I as the crown struggled to maintain credibility in a billon coinage that the public persistently distrusted — hoarding silver and passing debased pieces whenever possible. The 4th type reflects one of the periodic adjustments to fineness and weight standards that characterized Francis's monetary ordinances of the 1520s and 1530s, themselves partly driven by the enormous financial strain of the Italian Wars and the ransom paid after his capture at Pavia in 1525.

The Ciani absence is notable for a type with two major gazetted references.