2 - 
3 - 
4 - Doc. 
5 - Liens
- French Numismatic -
Translated by Michael E. Ontko, Vice President of the Greater Orange County Coin Club - U.S.A
2- The medieval franc
We should go back to 1360 to see the first French coin bearing the name of FRANC. This period overlaps part of the Hundred Years' War that opposed from 1337 to 1453 the Valois dynasty and the English kings who claimed the throne of France. On September 18, 1356, king John the Good was defeated with his army near Poitiers, he was made prisoner and led into captivity. His son, the Dauphin Charles, took the title of Regent and reestablished royal authority at Paris. After a new landing at Calais by Edward III of England, a treaty of peace, prepared by the Regent at Bretigny, was signed on October 24, 1360, by the two kings. Edward III then renounced his pretensions to the throne of France and freed king John, in exchange for territory in the southwest of France and anenormous ransom of three million gold écus. The return of the king from captivity restored confidence. With the ordinance of December 5, 1360, the coinage of silver and billon was strengthened. The act is very important since it also deals with the creation of a new gold coin calledthe Franc d'or à cheval (on horseback). It is the first FRANC of monetary history. King Jean le Bon For the ransom, a first payment of 600,000 "écus d'or" of the type Franc d'or à cheval was issued, the payments were to be completed by annual installments of 400,000 "écus d'or" during six years. At the beginning of 1364, no longer able to pay the ransom, John the Good was surrendered to the English and he died April 6 that year. His son, Charles V, denounced the Treaty of Bretigny in 1369 and reconquered a large part of the lands ceded to the English. He also struck the Franc d'or à cheval. King Charles V In 1365, the latter was replaced by a new gold coin showing the king standing with a sword in his hand; this coin took the name of the Franc d'or à pied (on foot). Charles VI continued the monetary system of his father, Charles V. It is impossible to differentiate the Franc d'or à pied of Charles V from those struck during the reign of Charles VI. King Charles V His son, Charles VII, had a new Franc d'or à cheval struck in 1422. With this coin ends the series of gold FRANCS.
On December 5, 1360, king John decreed the striking of gold pennies called Franc d'or, of the face value of twenty sols tournois or one livre tournois. This coin weighed 3.877 grams and was struck to the standard of 63 pieces to the gold mark. King Jean le Bon In the context of continual conflict with England, and knowing that the coinage was destined to pay the king's ransom, the Franc d'or à cheval is full of symbolism. First of all is the name: the word FRANC meant free, the king returned from captivity is finally free, as he declared in the decree, "Now that we are free and liberated forever..." Then there is the symbolism of the engraving : king John is shown galloping on horseback, sword in hand, ready to strike, as he had sworn not to lay down arms until he had retaken from the enemy the conquered lands. The symbolism was certainly inspired by the gold George" florin, struck in 1341, on which his father Philip of Valois was shown galloping on horseback and spearing with his lance the dragon of England. King Charles V
On April 20, 1365, it was decreed in the name of the king Charles V the manufacture of the new gold Francs known as Francs d'or à pied with the value of twenty sols tournois (one livre tournois). This coin, lighter than the franc d'or à cheval, weighed 3.824 grams and was struck to the standard of 64 pieces to the gold mark. King Charles V The king is shown in a less warlike fashion. He is standing, holding in his right hand a sword and in his left hand the hand of justice. Charles V had these coins struck at three new mints : Limoges, Poitiers and La Rochelle. The mints are identified by the mint-marks used during the English occupation.
King Charles V Charles VI, at the beginning of his reign, struck coins of the type Franc d'or à pied but they are indistinguishable from those of Charles V.
One should note the numerous imitations of both types issued by neighboring princes (the count of Flanders, the count of Hainaut, the duke of Brabant, the duke of Brittany, the duke of Aquitaine, the count of Provence, etc.) All these coins used the motto that first appeared on the gold coins of the crusading king Louis IX, Christ Vincit - Christ Regnat - Christ Imperat (Christ conquers, Christ rules, Christ commands).
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