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Gros blanc à la couronne - Jean II dit 'le Bon'
| Issuer | Kingdom of France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1357 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Blanc (1⁄24 LT) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field features a large fleur-de-lis surmounted crown, rendered in high relief, occupying the majority of the inner circle. The crown is of the open type with prominent fleurons, typical of Capetian-Valois royal iconography. An inner legend surrounding the crown reads FRANCORV REX, the title of the King of France, with annelet stops separating the words. An outer beaded border frames the design, consistent with the hammered billon gros blanc series issued under Jean II le Bon in 1357. |
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| Reverse lettering | F - RANCORV○RE - X |
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| Additional information |
Jean II issued this coin while a prisoner of the English following his capture at Poitiers in September 1356 — one of the most catastrophic French defeats of the Hundred Years' War. The ransom negotiations that followed were staggering: three million gold écus eventually agreed upon for his release. Coinage reform and emergency emissions became a fiscal necessity as the French crown scrambled to stabilize a monetary system under extreme stress, with the billon content of circulating silver repeatedly adjusted to extract more revenue from a depleted treasury.
The .399 fine silver content reflects precisely that squeeze.