1475
A gold coin was born, with a sun above a shield. It was a sign of the king's glory.
READING A COIN
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.
The Sun Écu That Counted a Ransom, in 3 Minutes
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1494
The next king invaded Italy. The payments were counted out in sun écus.
February 24, 1525
King François I was captured after losing the Battle of Pavia.
After that
Two young princes were sent as hostages in the king's place.
1529
The price to return the princes was set. The ransom was counted in sun écus.
2,000,000 écus
Around the same time
The same king built or renovated seven châteaux in about 15 years.
The funding
This brilliant culture was paid for by the common people.
2In numbers
2,000,000écus
The ransom set in 1529 for the return of the two hostage princes.
7châteaux
The number of châteaux the same king built or renovated in about 15 years, despite the military defeat.
3What would you do?
You are the king's servant. The country's finances must be tight after paying the ransom. Then the king says he's building a new palace. Where do you think the money will come from?
Pick one
From somewhere other than the king's own treasury.
That wasn't the case. The funds for the glorious palace came from the same royal treasury that paid the debt for the lost war.
From taxes and from selling public offices.
That's right. This brilliant culture was supported by the common people, through taxes, the sale of offices, and national debt.
The gold coin born as a symbol of glory also became the unit for counting the cost of defeat.
4Read more
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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