In 1359 France was ruled by the good king Jean II. The memory of the Black Death was still vivid for most Europeans, as the social changes were already starting to take shape and the Hundred Years War threatened to shake even the more stable continental regions. France was somewhat lucky in the matter of monetary policy because as the epidemic raged in 1349/50, the reforms undertaken under the reign of Philippe VI (a bit about it can be followed here) meant that the coinage of the realm remained stable enough and the title fluctuations did not mean hyperinflation. But by 1359 the gros, which was the flagship of French currency, had dropped from the 479/1000 title for a cca. 3.4g piece of 15 deniers tournois in 1349, to a 239/1000 title for the same nominal. The loss of value was obvious, as it's possibly shown by the graffiti on this gros aux trois lis minted for Jean II on June 7th 1359: The gros, although of the same nominal value, was now worth in absolute terms just half of what Philippe's gros had been worth just 10 years before. Intensely circulated, it even showed coppery hues, a very bad omen for the regular person who needed means to preserve his purchase power. So we can easily imagine a guy sitting in the tavern buying just half the amount of beers, being disgruntled and defacing the royal coat of arms with his knife, before passing the gros to the innkeeper. "Trois lis a la merde!"
Superb writing. I'm ashamed of my ignorance about my ancestors monetary systems and their coinage. On the other hand I could easily help anyone who would like to understand the expression"Trois lis à la merde". Just PM me...
LOL, although I do not speak French, I had a good idea when I read it!!! LOL Something similar to Lilies and Hanky the Christmas Poo (but not at Christmas time...)
Although a bit more crase, it is similar to the Latin saying under my avatar: Illegitimi non carborundum
It's not mentioned in the Wikipedia article, but the phrase is also famous for its use as a plot point in Margaret Atwood's novel The Handmaid's Tale.
Also associated with an interesting modern character: Barry Goldwater, a politician that Bob Dylan appreciated rara avis.
