Gros Tournois

The Gros Tournois was one of the first European coins to standardize silver currency, weighing around 4.5 grams and valued at 12 deniers, which helped knit together France's disparate economies. That innovation didn't come from thin air; Louis IX, fresh from his crusades, pushed for it to stabilize trade after years of monetary chaos. The coin's obverse bore a simple cross, while the reverse featured the châtel tournois—a stylized castle gate that echoed the fortifications of the day.

Struck in Paris and a few other mints, exact production figures remain murky; records from that era often went up in smoke, literally. Variants exist, some with slight design tweaks under later kings, but the core remained consistent until 1360. If you're handling one, note the edge often shows file marks from quality control—a detail that numismatists appreciate more than they let on.

Planchets were typically cut from silver ingots, though sources for the metal are lost to history. As for myths, like it being a lucky charm, I've seen enough to know it's just a coin.