The Gold Coin of the Sun that Counted a King's Ransom
A gold coin created to proclaim the brilliance of royal authority. In time, this coin also became the unit for counting the ransom of a captured king. We trace the two scenes of glory and defeat reflected by this particular gold coin.
A Mark Proclaiming the Splendor of Royal Power
On the gold coin, a small sun rests above the shield. This is the Écu d'or au soleil, the gold écu with a sun. First issued by Louis XI in 1475, this gold coin features a design of a sun placed above a shield with three fleurs-de-lis surmounted by a crown. This was a mark proclaiming the splendor of restored royal power.
His father, Louis XI, left behind a centralized and well-funded crown. His son, Charles VIII, marched his army into Italy in 1494. The coins counted for this campaign were precisely those gold coins of the sun created by his father. The basic design of this gold coin continued to be struck until the reign of François I and remained the standard for French gold coinage until the Louis d'or replaced it in 1640.
The Battle of Pavia and Two Million Écus
The gold coin that had been a symbol of glory would eventually be used to count the cost of defeat. On February 24, 1525, France was defeated at the Battle of Pavia. King François I was taken prisoner and held captive in Madrid. It is said that the king wrote to his mother that all was lost, save for his honor and his life.
Eventually, the king's two young sons were sent to Spain as hostages in his place. Then, in 1529, a peace treaty arranged by two women set the price for the princes' return: two million écus. This was the king's ransom, counted in those same gold coins of the sun.
A Palace Built in the Shadow of Defeat
Behind the scenes of this ransom payment, the same king was amassing astonishing wealth. In the space of about fifteen years, François I built or renovated as many as seven châteaux. One of these, Fontainebleau, began its transformation from a medieval hunting lodge into a Renaissance palace around 1528.
The king's emblem, the salamander, was carved on the walls, and painters were invited from Italy. Leonardo da Vinci was also invited, and one of his masterpieces made its way to the country. The funds for this splendor came from the same royal purse that had paid the debt of that defeat. This brilliant culture was supported by the burdens of the common people in the form of taxes, the sale of offices, and public bonds.
In time, the contents of that purse, though no one was at war, would be quietly diluted by silver from across the sea.
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