Circulating Currency
| John II of France | |
|---|---|
| John, armored, on horseback left, holding sword. Around IOHANNES DEI GRATIA – FRANCORV REX | Cross fleurée; lis in quarters; all within tressure; trefoils in angles; around + XP'C* VInCIT* XP'C* REGNAT* XP'C* INPERAT |
| Franc à cheval, 1360 | |
| Charles V of France | |
|---|---|
| Charles standing facing, holding sword, in Gothic arch flanked by lis; KAROLVS x DI x GR FRANCOR x REX ; there is an R at end of legend
(La Rochelle mint) |
Ornate cross with trefoils at ends; lis and crowns in quarters; all within tressure; lis in angles. XPC* VINCIT x XRC REGNAT XRC* IMPERAT |
| Franc à pied | |
The denier tournois coin was initially minted by the abbey of Saint Martin in the Touraine region of France. Soon after Philip II of France seized the counties of Anjou and Touraine in 1203 and standardized the use of the livre tournois there, the livre tournois began to supersede the livre parisis (Paris pound) which had been up to that point the official currency of the Capetian dynasty.
The livre tournois was, in common with the original livre of Charlemagne, divided into 20 sols (sous after 1715), each of which was divided into 12 deniers.
Between 1360 and 1641, coins worth one livre tournois were minted, known as francs (the name coming from the inscription "Johannes Dei Gratia Francorum Rex", "Jean, by the grace of God, King of the French"). Other francs were minted under Charles V of France, Henri III of France and Henri IV of France. The use of the name "franc" became a synonym for livre tournois in accounting.
The first French paper money, issued between 1701 and 1720, was denominated in livres tournois (see "Standard Catalog of World Paper Money", Albert Pick). This was the last time the name was used officially, as later notes and coins were denominated simply in livres, the livre parisis having finally been abolished in 1667.
Read more about this topic: Livre Tournois
Famous quotes containing the words circulating and/or currency:
“Every day or two I strolled to the village to hear some of the gossip which is incessantly going on there, circulating either from mouth to mouth, or from newspaper to newspaper, and which, taken in homoeopathic doses, was really as refreshing in its way as the rustle of leaves and the peeping of frogs.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Money is the worst currency that ever grew among mankind. This sacks cities, this drives men from their homes, this teaches and corrupts the worthiest minds to turn base deeds.”
—Sophocles (497–406/5 B.C.)