Coin (Franc) Showing Jean Le Bon
Unknown Artist
1350–64
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
Diam. 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm); thickness 1/16 in. (0.2 cm); Wt. 0.2 oz. (5.7 g)
Classification
Miscellaneous-Coins and Medals
Culture
French
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Bashford Dean, 1922
Accession Number
22.122.4
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite gold franc coin, minted between 1350 and 1364, features a portrait of Jean II le Bon, King of France during a turbulent era. Measuring just 1 1/8 inches in diameter and weighing a precise 0.2, it exemplifies the craftsmanship of medieval numismatics. Produced in France amid the Hundred Years' War such coins were not only currency but symbols of royal authority, circulating as standardized gold pieces to fund military campaigns and stabilize the economy. Jean II's reign (1350–1364) was marked by conflict, including his capture at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356, which led to heav...