Catalog
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
| Issuer | Kingdom of France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1483-1498 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A bold long cross pattée divides the reverse field into four quarters, each bearing alternating heraldic devices: the fleurs-de-lis of France and the dauphins of the Dauphiné, referencing Charles VIII's territorial title as former Dauphin. The quadrilobe arrangement is enclosed within a plain inner circle, and the whole is surrounded by a beaded border. The circumferential Latin legend + SIT° NOMEN° DNI° BENEDICTVM (Blessed be the name of the Lord) is separated by pellet stops, a pious inscription standard on French royal billon coinage of the period. The flan is irregular and slightly buckled, consistent with hand-hammered production at a Dauphiné mint. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Charles VIII inherited the throne at thirteen, leaving effective control of France to his sister Anne de Beaujeu during the regency years — a period marked by the failed Guerre Folle rebellion of the great lords, who resented being governed by a woman. Billon issues like this one circulated through that turbulent decade before Charles asserted personal rule and launched his catastrophic Italian campaign of 1494.
The Dauphiné attribution is administratively significant: the province retained distinct minting privileges long after its annexation to the French crown in 1349.