Blanc of John II

John II issued the Blanc while imprisoned in England after his capture at Poitiers in 1356, a bold move to maintain French currency amid the chaos of the Hundred Years' War.

This silver coin, weighing around 3.8 grams, bore the king's coat of arms on one side and a cross on the other. Struck in Paris and possibly other mints, it represented a shift toward more standardized French denominations. Records suggest it was valued at 12 deniers, though exact exchange rates varied with the war's inflation.

We don't know the precise mintage figures; those details burned up in various archival fires over the centuries. What survives are a few specimens, often worn from circulation.

Some say the design symbolized defiance, but that's likely just romantic nonsense. As for me, after thirty years, I've seen enough Blancs to know they're sturdy little survivors.