My newest member
gallery has just opened:
French Medieval Coins
(here). It took longer than expected, but I have now uploaded my
collection of
French royal and feudal coins onto my
Forum gallery. The
gallery is best viewed using Position △.
References are something of an obsession, along with getting the best photos possible. The cornerstones of my reference material for
French coinage are Jean
Duplessy's
Les Monnaies Royales Françaises and
Les Monnaies Féodales Françaises; as well as
James Roberts'
The Silver Coins of Medieval France (476-1610 AD). I was able, finally, to get a copy of Faustin
Poey d'Avant's three volume
Monnaies Féodales de France. I
still have not located a copy of
Ciani,
Boudeau, or
Lafaurie, all of which are widely cited. C'est la vie.
My collecting
ethos is generally 'one of each' for issuers, be they kings, feudal lords, or regions. My preference is for well-struck silver coins. Silver deniers -sometimes described as denarii- predominate. I have not found obols, though it was a common
denomination in the day. In the
French royal coinage, I am particularly impressed by the Gros Tournois, introduced by Louis IX,
Saint Louis (1226-1270). This large-flan, weighty, and well struck silver was imitated elsewhere in Northern Europe.
I welcome feedback and corrections.