Groschen with shield - Francis II

Francis II ruled Brittany during its final decades of independence, spending much of his reign maneuvering diplomatically and militarily against French encroachment. The groschen denomination was a Franco-Flemish borrowing, adopted by Breton mints as silver coinage became increasingly necessary for the duchy's trade economy. Francis died in 1488 — weeks after the catastrophic defeat at Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier, where French forces effectively ended any realistic prospect of Breton sovereignty. His daughter Anne would formally bring the duchy into the French orbit through successive royal marriages.