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Teston of Dauphine - Francis I 2nd type
| Issuer | France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1515-1540 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
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| Currency | Livre tournois (1204-1795) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Quartered shield of the Dauphine arms displayed at centre, divided into four quarters bearing alternately the fleurs-de-lis of France and the dolphin of the Dauphine, all within an inner beaded circle. The shield is rendered in the Gothic heraldic tradition typical of early French Renaissance coinage. The pious reverse legend encircles the shield in the outer border, separated from the inner field by a raised beaded ring. |
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| Additional information |
Francis I assumed the Dauphiné before he was king — he held the title Dauphin only briefly, from 1514 until his accession in January 1515, which makes the dating of this series genuinely complicated. The teston as a denomination had been imported from Milan, where Francesco Sforza first struck the grosso di testone in the 1460s; French royal adoption of the type reflected both the Italian ambitions of the Valois and a practical need for a large silver coin capable of handling the fiscal demands of sustained warfare.
The 2nd type is distinguished from the 1st by specific die modifications documented in Duplessy. Production spanned multiple mints across the reign.