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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GDJMSP, post: 2592952, member: 112&quot;]Well I tried but I just can&#039;t resist. So here&#039;s the coin - </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]564798[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]564799[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>And here&#039;s the history - </p><p><br /></p><p>It was designed and minted specifically to pay the ransom for a King captured in battle by his arch enemy The Black Prince; and he was held in captivity for many years until the people of his Kingdom could raise the money to free him. The coins were gold of course, and their very name meant Free - to free their King. </p><p><br /></p><p>Now the deal was struck, and the coins were struck, and the first installment of the ransom was paid - 600,000 of these, out of total of 3 million. At last - the King was free and returned to his land. But his son, who had ruled in his absence, refused to pay the next installment (400,000) of the ransom. The proud and noble King, in order to uphold his honor, willingly returned to captivity in the foreign land - only to die there, still a prisoner, months later. But the coin, and its name would last and be in use for the next 700 years, forever symbolizing freedom.</p><p><br /></p><p>The war of course was the 100 Years War between France and Great Britain. The King was Jean le&#039; Bon (John he Good) aka John !!) of France. The Black Prince was Edward, Prince of Wales, Aquitaine and Gascony, eldest son of Edward III King of Great Britain.</p><p><br /></p><p>This specific coin was struck in 1364 by the Count Louis de Male of the Netherlands and it is known as the franc a&#039; cheval. This one was graded MS64 and was (and probably still is) the finest known example. The franc a&#039; cheval was the very first French franc.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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