Thanks
Peter. I don't know much about
French coins either. I saw this reference and a couple of others to the word FORCAS referring to castles or to gallows. This struck me as unlikely, firstly because of the incongruity with the reference to
PAX on one
side of the coin and secondly because this
legend continues to be used into the 1400s which seemed a long time both for an immobilised
type and for a castle now disappeared. My hunch (only supported by
google searches- hence my question) is that FORCAS refers to the Fors of Bearn a
collection of legal rulings compiled over 11-13th centuries which apparently the lords of Bearn swore to uphold. Just an idea though.
Regards
Steve