(sold for $261.0)

1547, Royal France, Francis I. Silver ½ Teston Coin. Dijon mint. Very Rare!

Mint Place: Dijon
Mint Date: 1515-1547 AD
Denomination: ½ Teston (demi teston)
References: Duplessy 811, Ci. 1129, Laf. 668. Rare!
Condition: Weakly struck obverse, marginal dark oxidation deposits, otherwise VF/aXF!
Diameter: 26mm
Material: Silver
Weight: 4.33gm

Obverse: Crowned and armored bust of Francis I of France right.
Legend: + FRANCISCVS: DEI: GRA: FRANCOR

Reverse: Crowned shield with three fleur de lis symbols. All within 12-foil.
Legend: NON: NOBIS: DNE: SED: NOMINI: TVO:

Francis I (French: François Ier; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547), was king of France from 1515 until his death.

Francis I is considered to be France's first Renaissance monarch. His reign saw France make immense cultural advances. He was a c ontemporary of Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire, with whom he was allied in a Franco-Ottoman alliance, as well as of Henry VIII of England and of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, his great rivals.

Francis' legacy is generally considered a mixed one. He achieved great cultural feats, but they came at the expense of France's economic well-being.

The persecution of the Protestants was to lead France into decades of civil war, which did not end until 1598 with the Edict of Nantes.