Renaissance Portraiture And The Teston

I'm sure the question on the tip of everyone's tongue is: What about France?!? After all, the term for this coin as I first learned it is the (French) teston.

As it turns out the French royals were relatively late adopters (since, as we've seen, a half dozen Italian city-states, Swiss cantons, etc. had already struck examples by 1500).
In fact, by 1500 two of their close neighbors to the east, the Duchies of Savoy and Lorraine had already struck testons.
Charles I of Savoy struck the first testons there around 1483: https://en.numista.com/198081
Here is a comparison of a 1490s teston of Philip II of Savoy (MIR CE#277, N#577264)

Copyright Nuismatica Ars Classica 2014

with a contemporary Renaissance portrait by Macrino d'Alba

Copyright Christie's 2019

Just north, Duke Rene II of Lorraine struck the first teston there around 1500: https://en.numista.com/322308
His successor, Antoine struck them in greater numbers and for a longer time (1513-1544). Here is one dated 1537 (MB#16, N#140095:



And a contemporary portrait of Antoine by Hans Holbein:

Antoine's coin portrait did not change in 30 years, so apparently he grew a beard somewhere along the way (long beards became fashionable in the mid-16th century). The prominent nose didn't change, though.

Next: Royal France