In 1473 Louis XI. issued them 72 to the mark; but two years later he began the issue of écus d'or au soleil (crowns of the sun), of the same fineness as the couronne, but slightly heavier (70 to the mark).
From the days of Charles VIII. the crown of the sun
(écus d'or au soleil, also called écus au porc-epi) took the place of older crowns. Under Francis I. they were generally 23 carats fine and 71 1⁄6 to the mark, under Charles IX. 23 carats fine and 72 1⁄2 to the mark. At this latter they remained till the days of Louis XIV. The change of equivalence must be followed in the accompanying tables.
From the old écus à la couronne must be distinguished the écus heaumes, which were issued in small quantities under Charles VI., generally 48 to the mark and 22 carats fine.
Henris d'or occur only under Henry II., 23 carats fine, 2 deniers 20 grs. weight, and issued at an equivalence of 50 sols.
Louis d'or (see text, p. [91]), first issued in 1640 under Louis XIII. in imitation of the Spanish standard; 22 carats fine, 36 1⁄4 to the mark, and = 10 livres. Standard and weight remained unchanged until 1709. See tables below for subsequent change.
Lis d'or have merely a transitory importance. They were issued in 1656 and shortly after, but almost immediately discontinued; 23 1⁄4 carats fine, 3 deniers 3 1⁄2 grs. the piece (60 1⁄2 to the mark) = 7 livres (to be distinguished as a third type from the fleurs de lys d'or of King John, and the separate fleur de lys d'or of Charles V.).
Silver Coins.
The silver deniers of the first royal race of France averaged 21 grs. in weight. Under the second race a much heavier system was adopted, those of Charlemagne weighing 28 grs., and those of Charles the Bold 32
grs. At the commencement of the third race they were still of fine silver, and weighed about 23 or 24 grs. The process of diminution by alloy and in weight began under Philippe I. For the question of the existence of a silver solidus, see Le Blanc, Introduction, p. [xii]. If they ever existed their place as a large silver specie was at an early date taken by that of the gros Tournois (called also gros deniers d'argent, gros deniers blancs, and sols d'argent), attributed to S. Louis; 11 deniers 12 grs. fine, 7 grs. weight (58 to the mark), and issued at an equivalence of 12 deniers or 1 sol.