Reproduction St. Louis IX Gros Tournois

Obverse: Cross pattée in center within two concentric rings of text. Outer ring text +BHDICTV SIT HOME DNI NRI DEIILV XPI (Blessed Be the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ), separated by colons on three stops and single stops. Inner circle text +LVDOVICVS REX (King Louis).

Reverse: Floral of twelve embedded lis, text within and Châtel tournois at centre. Text reads +TVRONVS CIVIS, city of Tours.

History: The gros tournois was the first larger medieval silver coin, with a value of 12 deniers. The twelve fleurs-de-lis on the reverse refer to this value. It was made of high-grade silver.

The prototype emerged from wrought-iron dies by the moneyers of the beloved Louis IX, warrior king and hero of the Seventh Crusade. The Châtel tournois is a representation of the town gate of Tours and the abbey church. The gros tournois was a coin of medieval France, its acceptability led to it being widely imitated.

Date: Tours mint, France, 1226 – 1270

Diameter: 2.3cm