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Denier Tournois - Philippe IV

Started by RoyalCoinage, September 10, 2024, 05:33:24 AM

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RoyalCoinage

Philip IV also known as Philip the Fair (French - Philippe le Bel), was King of France from 1285 to 1314. He was also King of Navarre as Philip I from 1284 to 1305, as well as Count of Champagne.

Philip IV sought to exert control over the French clergy, particularly in terms of taxation. This led to a fierce confrontation with Pope Boniface VIII, who opposed any secular taxation of the clergy. In retaliation, Boniface issued the papal bull Unam Sanctam in 1302, asserting papal supremacy over secular rulers. Philip responded by sending troops to arrest the pope, an incident known as the Outrage of Anagni.

After Boniface's death, Philip influenced the election of Clement V, a French pope, and the papacy was effectively moved to Avignon under Philip's influence, beginning what is known as the Avignon Papacy or the "Babylonian Captivity" of the popes.

Philip IV is notorious for his role in the persecution and eventual disbandment of the Knights Templar. On October 13, 1307, Philip had the Templar leaders arrested, accusing them of heresy, corruption, and other crimes. Many Templars were tortured into confessing, and their property was seized by the crown. In 1312, under pressure from Philip, Pope Clement V officially dissolved the order. The Grand Master of the Templars, Jacques de Molay, was executed in 1314.

Philip engaged in conflicts with Edward I of England over territories in France, particularly Aquitaine. He also faced revolts in Flanders, which culminated in the Battle of the Golden Spurs.
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Obverse:

Cross pattee in a grenetis, legend around it.
Lettering: ✠ PhILIPPVS REX
Translation: Philip king.

Reverse:

Chatel Tournois. The O of TVRONVS is long.
Lettering: ✠ TVRONVS CIVIS
Translation: City of Tours.
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Figleaf

I think this is Dy 223 (round O), rather than Dy 225 (oval O). Note that Ciani had switched his illustrations around. This type was issued 1280-1290, without change after the succession of Philippe IV. The design is a direct descendent of the denier of the abby of Tours. Only the legend on the obverse has changed. Official weight is 1.127 gram.

The kings of the Valois dynasty were the subject of a well-researched French book and television series, the accursed kings. The lemma on this series contains more and better historical information than the one on Philippe IV.

On the Western tip of the Ile de la Cité in Paris is a plaque, commemorating the death of De Molay. The Valois curse has struck even this little monument. It is very hard to find. The symbol on Google maps is not quite in the right place, unmarked and decorated with the wrong picture: the Henri IV statue, rather than the plaque. From the statue of Henry IV, take the steps down towards the garden. The steps have two exits towards the garden with a few more steps down. The plaque is mounted on the wall between those two exits. It is visible (but not readable) with street view. The execution of De Molay took place downstairs, with the king and the pope having a good look and presumable smelling the roasting meat from upstairs. Bon appétit. :P

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

Tirant

It's ironical how this king is called "the fair" when he was anything but fair...

@Figleaf , wasn't him a Capet? Didn't the Valois came later?

Figleaf

In English, fair can have several meanings (e.g. blonde, evenhanded), but in French, his nickname was le bel, which means handsome. I think he got the epithet fair, because there is a Burgundian ruler already known as Philip the handsome. Handsome is of course in the eye of the beholder. One possibility is that both were called handsome because their face had not been disfigured by smallpox, a highly contagious disease that was extremely common in medieval times.

You're quite right that Philip IV was a member of the house of Capet. During the French revolution, Louis XVI was stripped of his title of king and was addressed as Louis Capet. It was probably meant as an insult, but even today in republican France, maintaining the core values of the revolutionaries (Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité) the Capets are known as the Capets direct, making subsequent rulers indirect members of the house of Capet.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

Tirant

I mean, as far as know, the first Valois was Philippe VI. But well, they're all Capètiens after all, so nevermind  ;D

Yes, "le bel" is the way i always knew him.