Teston - Charles IX and successor

The teston denomination had been declining in practical use for decades by this point, but the Wars of Religion created chronic metal shortages that made every silver issue politically fraught. Charles IX died in May 1574 — almost certainly from tuberculosis, though contemporary sources attributed his deterioration to guilt over the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre two years prior — leaving Henri III to inherit both the throne and the ongoing civil war. Coins struck across this transitional window carry attributions that remain contested, as mint output rarely aligned cleanly with regnal dates.

Dy royales R1 designation reflects meaningful scarcity in the series.