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Gros de trois blancs dit 'demi gros de Nesle' ou 'sol parisis' - Henri II
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 1550-1551 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Central field dominated by a large crowned capital H, the royal cipher of Henri II, flanked on either side by a fleur-de-lis in low relief. The crown surmounting the H is rendered in the Gothic style typical of mid-sixteenth-century French coinage. The peripheral legend is struck in Latin capital letters separated by pellets, running clockwise around the coin. The overall design is characteristic of the hammered billon coinage issued under Henri II, with the die showing the irregular flan edges common to this series. |
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| Obverse lettering | + HENRICVS. II. D. G. FRANCORVM. REX (Translation: Henry II, by the grace of God, King of the Franks.) |
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| Additional information |
Henri II introduced this denomination in 1550 as part of a broader monetary reform intended to address the chronic shortage of mid-range silver in circulation — a problem that had plagued French commerce since the disruptions of the Italian Wars. The "de Nesle" nickname derives from the Hôtel de Nesle in Paris, which housed a temporary mint during this period. Its equivalence to the sol parisis placed it squarely in the contested zone between billon and proper silver, a compromise that satisfied neither merchants nor the royal treasury particularly well.