Historical Background
Henry III of France, who also briefly served as King of Poland, was a monarch navigating turbulent political waters. Reigning during the latter half of the 16th century, his rule was marked by religious wars between Catholics and Huguenots, internal power struggles, and the gradual decline of royal authority. Despite this instability, Henry aimed to reinforce an image of divine legitimacy and regal poise.
 
The Douzain, minted in billon (a debased silver alloy), was an essential medium of exchange during the Renaissance era. Coins like this, struck in mints such as Bayonne, were used daily by merchants, peasants, and soldiers. Their symbolism—combining royal imagery with sacred inscriptions—mirrored the era's close alliance between the monarchy and the Church.
 
The Coin’s Journey
Struck in 1575 at the Bayonne mint, this Douzain emerged during one of France’s most politically charged and religiously divisive periods. The Wars of Religion consumed the kingdom, yet commerce and daily life endured. This very coin would have been passed hand-to-hand by citizens trying to live through times of uncertainty.
 
Its obverse boldly declared Henry's royal authority through the crowned arms of France and his initial "H" repeated in mirrored fashion—likely a reference to both his sovereignty and divine right. On the reverse, the indented cross and four crowns carried the sacred benediction “SIT NOMEN DOMINI BENEDICTUM” ("Blessed be the name of the Lord"), reaffirming the monarchy’s spiritual legitimacy.
 
In practical use, this coin may have paid for a small meal—bread, cheese, perhaps a jug of wine—or covered the cost of crossing a toll bridge or gaining access to a trade fair. It could have been traded in a village market, spent in a cathedral town, or even offered to a militia recruiter in a time of war.
 
Over decades, the coin circulated and wore, eventually slipping out of use as the political tides turned. Perhaps it was lost by a merchant near the Garonne River or sealed in the foundations of a crumbling stone inn as conflict rolled across the land.
 
Centuries later, it was uncovered—weathered but intact. Cleaned with care and now preserved in VF+ condition, this Douzain is a rare survivor. It speaks not only to the faith, turmoil, and power struggles of Renaissance France, but to the people who carried it, spent it, and lived by it.