Petit Karolus

Struck under Charles VIII, the Petit Karolus was introduced as part of the monetary reforms following the 1488 ordinance that attempted to rationalize France's notoriously fragmented coinage system — dozens of seigneurial and royal mints were still producing incompatible denominations. Billon issues of this type circulated alongside much heavier silver and gold pieces, filling the critical small-change gap that plagued everyday commerce throughout the late Valois period.

Duplessy 594 encompasses pieces from multiple royal mints, and attribution to a specific workshop depends entirely on the mint mark present.