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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Medieval & Modern Coins| ▸ |France||View Options:  |  |  |   

Coins of France

During the Iron Age, what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls, a Celtic people. Rome annexed the area in 51 B.C., holding it until the arrival of Germanic Franks in 476, who formed the Kingdom of Francia. The Treaty of Verdun of 843 partitioned Francia into East Francia, Middle Francia and West Francia. West Francia, which became the Kingdom of France in 987, emerged as a major European power in the Middle Ages under King Philip Augustus. During the Renaissance, French culture flourished and a global colonial empire was established, which by the 20th century would become the second largest in the world. The 16th century was dominated by religious civil wars between Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots). France became Europe's dominant cultural, political, and military power in the 17th century under Louis XIV. In the late 18th century, the French Revolution overthrew the absolute monarchy, establishing one of modern history's earliest republics and drafting the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which expresses the nation's ideals to this day. In the 19th century, Napoleon took power and established the First French Empire. His subsequent Napoleonic Wars (1803?15) shaped the course of continental Europe. Following the collapse of the Empire, France endured a tumultuous succession of governments culminating with the establishment of the French Third Republic in 1870. France was a major participant in World War I, from which it emerged victorious, and was one of the Allies in World War II, but came under occupation by the Axis powers in 1940. Following liberation in 1944, a Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the Algerian War. The Fifth Republic, led by Charles de Gaulle, was formed in 1958 and remains today. Algeria and nearly all the other colonies became independent in the 1960s, with most retaining close economic and military connections with France.

France, Charles VII The Victorious, 1422 - 1461

|France|, |France,| |Charles| |VII| |The| |Victorious,| |1422| |-| |1461||ecu| |d'or|
Charles VII was born in 1403 as the eleventh child and fifth son of Charles VI of France and Isabeau of Bavaria. He was given the title of comte de Ponthieu at his birth. His four elder brothers all died childless, leaving Charles with a rich inheritance of titles. Due to the Treaty of Troyes, in which Charles VI signed for King Henry V of England as his legitimate successor to the throne of France, a new conflict with England was created. The succession was claimed both by the King of England and by the disinherited younger Charles.
SH113448. Gold ecu d'or, Duplessy 511A, Ciani 634, Friedberg 307, Mint State, weight 3.318 g, maximum diameter 27.8 mm, die axis 0o, Saint-Lô mint, authorized 18 May 1450, 6th emission; obverse (crown) KAROLVS:DEI:GRACIA:FRANCORVm:REX (Charles, by the grace of God, King of the Franks, := double lozenge stop), crowned arms of France, flanked by crowned lis to left and right; reverse (crown) XPC:VINCIT:XPC:REGNAT:XPC:IMPERAT (Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands, := double lozenge stop), elaborate cross feuillue, pellet in quatrefoil at center, crowns in each quarter, all in quadrilobe within inner border; first example of this type handled by FORVM; $1400.00 (€1316.00)
 


France, Henri IV, 2 August 1589 - 14 May 1610

|France|, |France,| |Henri| |IV,| |2| |August| |1589| |-| |14| |May| |1610||1/4| |Ecu|
This variety is unpublished in the primary references. Henri Hoffmann in Les Monnaies Royales De France Depuis Hugues Capet Jusqu'ã Louis XVI (1884) does list the 4 vice IIII legend variation on other types, a quarter ecu of Navarre and an eighth of Béarn and Navarre, for example.
ME112523. Silver 1/4 Ecu, Ciani 1517 var., Duplessy 1224 var., Legros 1066 var., Hoffmann 28 var. (all rev. leg. IIII vice 4, etc.); cf. Hoffmann 29 (Navarre), VF, toned, weight 9.549 g, maximum diameter 29.3 mm, die axis 135o, Bayonne mint, 1590; obverse SIT•NOMEN+DOMINI•BENEDICVM (Blessed be the name of the Lord, Bayonne mintmark), crowned shield of France (three fleurs-de-lis), II - II flanking across field, Bayonne mintmark (and control marks) at 6:00: +L+(flower)(anchor); reverse + HENRICVS4•D•G•FRAN•E•NAVA•R•1590 (Henry IV, by the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre, 1590), Foliate cross, quatrefoil around cross of five pellets at center, lily arms, pellet at each end; ex Karl Stephens; $630.00 (€592.20)
 


Anglo-Gallic, Richard II, 1377 - 1399

|France|, |Anglo-Gallic,| |Richard| |II,| |1377| |-| |1399||Hardi| |d'Argent|NEW
Richard II's posthumous reputation has been shaped to a large extent by William Shakespeare, whose play Richard II portrayed Richard's misrule and his deposition as responsible for the 15th-century Wars of the Roses.
ME113073. Silver Hardi d'Argent, Withers AGC 275B, 1/a; Elias 228a (S) var. (obv. legend); Duplessy Féodales 1136 var. (legends); SCBC-SII 8143, VF, dark toning, clashed obv. die, weight 1.184 g, maximum diameter 20.2 mm, die axis 135o, Aquitaine mint, 1377 - 1399; obverse Latin: RICARD' R• AGLIE (Richard King England), half-length figure of the king facing beneath Gothic canopy, sword in right hand resting on right shoulder, pointing with left hand; reverse Latin: FRA-CIE - DnS - AQI (France, Lord of Aquitaine), long cross pattée, leopard in first and fourth quarters, lis in second and third quarters; ex Gordon Andreas Singer (Greenbelt, MD); $600.00 (€564.00)
 


Anglo-Gallic, Richard II, 1377 - 1399

|France|, |Anglo-Gallic,| |Richard| |II,| |1377| |-| |1399||Hardi| |d'Argent|NEW
Richard II's posthumous reputation has been shaped to a large extent by William Shakespeare, whose play Richard II portrayed Richard's misrule and his deposition as responsible for the 15th-century Wars of the Roses.
ME113074. Silver Hardi d'Argent, Withers AGC 275B, 13(?)/d; Elias 228a (S) var. (legends); Duplessy Féodales 1136 var. (legends); SCBC-SII 8143, aVF, dark tone, ink museum number on obverse, weight 0.886 g, maximum diameter 19.1 mm, die axis 345o, Aquitaine mint, 1377 - 1399; obverse Latin: RICARD' RX• AGLIE (or similar, Richard King England), half-length figure of the king facing beneath Gothic canopy, sword in right hand resting on right shoulder, pointing with left hand; reverse Latin: •FRAC-IE Dn-S•AQI-TAnE (France, Lord of Aquitaine), long cross pattée, leopard in first and fourth quarters, lis in second and third quarters; $500.00 (€470.00)
 


France, Henri IV, 2 August 1589 - 14 May 1610

|France|, |France,| |Henri| |IV,| |2| |August| |1589| |-| |14| |May| |1610||1/4| |Ecu|
Henry IV, also known as "Good King Henry", was King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. Upon the death of his brother-in-law and distant cousin Henry III of France, Henry was called to the French succession in 1589. He initially kept the Protestant faith but after four years and at least 12 assassination attempts, he abjured the Calvinist faith. He promulgated the Edict of Nantes in 1598, guaranteeing religious freedom and ending the Wars of Religion. He was assassinated in 1610 by a fanatical Catholic. Unpopular immediately after his accession, Henry's popularity greatly improved after his death. The "Good King Henry" (le bon roi Henri) was remembered for his geniality and his great concern about the welfare of his subjects. Henry is said to have originated the oft-repeated phrase, "a chicken in every pot."
WO113444. Silver 1/4 Ecu, Duplessy 1240, Ciani 1520, Roberts 3286, aVF, toned, flan adjustment marks, edge crack, weight 9.438 g, maximum diameter 31.8 mm, pendulum struck, Bearn, Pau mint, 1594; obverse HENRICVS•IIII•D•G•FRANC•ET•NAVA•REX DB (DB ligate) (Henry IV, by the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre, Bearn mintmark), Fleur-de-lis cross; reverse ••*GRATIA•DEI•SUM•Q•D•SVM•1594 DB*•• (DB ligate)• (By the grace of God, I am what I am, Bearn mintmark), crowned shield arms of France (three lis), Navarre (star) and Bearn (two cows), II - II flanking across field; $400.00 (€376.00)
 


France, Henri II, 31 March 1547 - 10 July 1559

|France|, |France,| |Henri| |II,| |31| |March| |1547| |-| |10| |July| |1559||teston| |du| |moulin|
In June 1559, Henry was injured in a jousting tournament held to celebrate the treaty, the April 1559 Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis, which ended the Italian Wars. He died ten days later after his surgeon, Ambroise Paré, was unable to cure the wound.
WO113445. Silver teston du moulin, Duplessy 989, Ciani 1279, Lafaurie 827, Roberts 3534, Sombart 4584, gF, toned, scratches and marks, weight 9.252 g, maximum diameter 28.0 mm, die axis 180o, Paris mint, 1553, type 3e; obverse HENRICVS. II. DEI. G. FRANCOR. REX (Henri II, by the grace of God, King of France), laureate head of the King right; reverse + CHRS VINCIT CHRS REGNAT CHRS IMP E 1553 (Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands), crowned shield arms of France, A below; first example of this type handled by Forum; ex Gordon Andreas Singer (Greenbelt, MD); scarce; $300.00 (€282.00)
 


Anglo-Gallic, Edward III, 25 January 1327 – 21 June 1377

|France|, |Anglo-Gallic,| |Edward| |III,| |25| |January| |1327| |–| |21| |June| |1377||obole| |au| |lion|
The Aquitanian title on both sides seems to suggest this coin was struck c. 1325 - 1326, when Edward III was Duke of Aquitaine but not yet King of England, but Elias dates the type the second half of the 1350's based on style. This type and similar billon Anglo-Gallic coins looked silver when issued, but after some use turned black, hence their nickname, "black money." They were usually hastily and poorly struck, heavily circulated and worn, and seldom hoarded. Surviving examples are now rare and mostly low grade. This type is very rare.
ME112522. Billon obole au lion, Elias 110c (RR), Duplessy Féodales 1109 var. (obv. title ED':REX: ARGLIE), Boudeau 503 var. (same), aVF, broken with fragment lost, clashed obv. die, deposits, corrosion, weight 0.489 g, maximum diameter 14.9 mm, die axis 270o, Bordeaux(?) mint, 4th type, 1350 - 1360; obverse + ED' : DVX : AeITANIE (Edward, Duke of Aquitaine), leopard passant left on straight line, mB' (Moneta Burdegalensis?) below line; reverse +DVX : AeITANIE (Duke of Aquitaine), short cross pattée within inner circle, pellet under crown in second angle; ex Gordon Andreas Singer, very rare with the Aquitanian title on both sides!; $270.00 (€253.80)
 


France, Louis XIII, 1610 - 1643 A.D.

|France|, |France,| |Louis| |XIII,| |1610| |-| |1643| |A.D.||double| |tournois|NEW
James I's ambassador to Paris, Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury, remarked on Louis' extreme congenital speech impediment, and his double teeth: "..the king [Louis] assured me of a reciprocal affection to the king [James] my master, and of my particular welcome to his Court: his words were never many, as being so extreme a stutterer that he would sometimes hold his tongue out of his mouth a good while before he could speak so much as one word; he had besides a double row of teeth, and was observed seldom or never to spit or blow his nose, or to sweat much, tho he were very laborious and almost indefatigable in his exercises of hunting or hawking, to which he was much addicted.."
WO113687. Copper double tournois, Duplessy 1371, Gadoury 11, Ciani 1722, SCWC KM 86.4, VF, weight 2.479 g, maximum diameter 20.1 mm, die axis 180o, Tours mint, 1638 A.D.; obverse LOVIS XIII R D FRAN E NA, laureate draped and cuirassed bust of Louis XIII right, E (mint mark) below; reverse + DOVBLE TOVRNOIS 1638, three fleur-de-lis; ex Gordon Andreas Singer (Greenbelt, MD); $125.00 (€117.50)
 


France, Philip IV, 1285 - 1314 A.D.

|France|, |France,| |Philip| |IV,| |1285| |-| |1314| |A.D.||Gros| |Tournois|NEW
King Philip IV, deeply in debt to the Knights Templar, took advantage of rumors about the Order's secret initiation ceremony. On Friday, October 13, 1307, he had the Order's members in France arrested (the origin of the Friday the 13th superstition). Pope Clement, under threat from Philip, instructed all Christian monarchs in Europe to arrest all Templars and seize their assets. Many Templars were tortured into giving false confessions and burned at the stake. Grand Master Jacques de Molay, burned alive in Paris in 1314, called out from the flames, "Dieu sait qui a tort et a pëché. Il va bientot arriver malheur à ceux qui nous ont condamnés à mort" ("God knows who is wrong and has sinned. Soon a calamity will occur to those who have condemned us to death"). Pope Clement died only a month later, and King Philip died in a hunting accident before the end of the year.
ME113758. Silver Gros Tournois, Duplessy 213, Roberts 2461, Ciani 201, Lafaurie I 217, aVF, toned, scratches, weight 3.986 g, maximum diameter 26.0 mm, die axis 30o, Tours mint, c. 1285 - 1290; obverse outer legend: + BNDICTV: SIT: NOmE: DNI: nRI: DEI: IhV: XPI (the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed, triple pellet stops), inner legend: + PHILIPPVS' REX (King Philip, lis stop, normal L, normal X); cross pattée; reverse + TVRONVS' CIVIS (City of Tours, normal T, round O), Châtel tournois topped with a cross, tressure border of twelve lis within arches; ex Gordon Andreas Singer (Greenbelt, MD); $120.00 (€112.80) ON RESERVE


France, County of Anjou, Foulques V, 1109 - 1129, and Geoffroi IV, 1129 - 1151

|France|, |France,| |County| |of| |Anjou,| |Foulques| |V,| |1109| |-| |1129,| |and| |Geoffroi| |IV,| |1129| |-| |1151||denier|NEW
Fulk V later became King of Jerusalem.
ME114480. Billon denier, Poey d'Avant 1502, Duplessy Féodales 376 var. (rev. leg.), Boudeau 153 (legends not listed, notes variants), Roberts -, VF, toned, deposits, flan adjustment marks, weight 1.014 g, maximum diameter 18.3 mm, die axis 0o, Andegavis (Angers, France) mint, 1109 - 1151; obverse + FVLCO COMES (count Foulques), Cross cantonnée, alpha and omega in quarters; reverse + VRBS AHDEGAVS (City of Andegavis, ND appearing as ligate HD), FVLCO monogram; scarcer variant; $120.00 (€112.80)
 




  



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