Need Some ID Help - New Member With No Idea

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Author	Replies: 6 / Views: 1,056
Frenchfancies New Member France 1 Posts	Posted 07/22/2019 10:00 am Hello I really hope someone can help me. I am based in France and found this recent coin at a brocante in SW France. It has a pendant fitting to the top of it. I have no idea if this is French although for some reason it feels English. It has tested as silver and feels quite thick for a "hammered" coin. I would love to know where it's from, how old it is and if it has any value. Thank you in anticipation Report this Post to the Staff

erafjel Pillar of the Community Sweden 2124 Posts	Posted 07/22/2019 10:43 am It is a French Henri III coin, minted sometime in the late 1570s (the year at the top of the reverse could be 1578). If you can measure its diameter, one can say whether it is a one franc, a half franc, or a quarter franc coin. Since it is very worn and has a pendant, it is not worth that much, I would say less than 20 €. Edited by erafjel 07/22/2019 10:44 am Report this Post to the Staff
jbuck Moderator United States 188415 Posts	Posted 07/22/2019 3:55 pm to the Community! Your post was moved to the appropriate forum for the proper attention. Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
Frenchfancies New Member France 1 Posts	Posted 07/23/2019 03:10 am Thank you so much for your reply erafjel. Its approximately 3 cms in diameter. I'm going to find a chain for it so that I can wear it. I love history so I am going to do some more digging on Henri III. Report this Post to the Staff
erafjel Pillar of the Community Sweden 2124 Posts	Posted 07/23/2019 03:39 am Then it would be a 1/2 franc. Here is a link to the Numista page for it (the picture does not look exactly like your coin, but there are many variants depending on mint and year). https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces38934.html Report this Post to the Staff
tdziemia Pillar of the Community United States 7940 Posts	Posted 07/23/2019 07:46 am et bienvenue! An interesting historic perspective on this coin is that Henri III was also King Henryk of Poland from 1574-75. He abandoned the throne to return to France, but never relinquished the title, so, on the obverse of this coin, the legend reads HENRICVS III D G FRANC ET POL REX, or "Henry III, by the Grace of God, King of France and Poland." For this reason, his coins are also collected by collectors of Polish coins. Report this Post to the Staff
erafjel Pillar of the Community Sweden 2124 Posts	Posted 07/23/2019 6:02 pm Yes, an interesting period in French history (one of many!). Henri III had his hands full, not least with the Wars of Religion. Nevertheless, he found time to reform the French monetary system. Part of the reform was to introduce the franc as a denomination (or rather re-introduce, as it had been used in the 14th century). The main idea was to abandon the livre as money of account and introduce the ecu in its place. The value of one ecu was fixed to 60 sous tournois and one franc to 20 sous tournois. There were coins with denominations of 1, 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 ecu as well as 1, 1/2 and 1/4 franc. In addition, there were various smaller denominations of sous and deniers. Overly complex? Yes... The system lasted until 1602, when Henri IV decided it was time to go back to the livre and flexible denominations (that is, that could be changed at the king's discretion). Looking again at your coin, it might be a one franc that has been clipped rather than a half franc. If it is important to know which, an accurate measurement of diameter and weight should make it possible to determine with certainty. Report this Post to the Staff
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