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Franc
(639 words)

Various coins have been minted with the denomination of franken, or franc (the origin of the word is unclear, presumably from “France”) . As the name indicates, the coins originated in France; the oldest are 14th-century French gold coins. The French king John II authorized the franc à cheval (with the figure of a king on horseback), along with other gold coins; and his successor Charles V added the franc à pied (with the figure of a standing king), valued at a livre tournois (“Tournois pound,” from Latin libra). Regulations stipulated that they be made of pure gold wit…

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Schneider, Konrad, “Franc”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_SIM_019344>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20180126



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