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Message:: [QUOTE="Ian, post: 22294, member: 283"]As mentioned in the thread on Doug's 1650 1/2 ecu, I had a memory of having a french coin with a blundered legend. I rummaged through my french stuff and found it. It's not in any condition to get excited about, but then again, french coinage of this period isn't found in much better condition (for the kind of money I have available to me that is). It's a silver teston of Henri III dated 1576 from Bayonne mint (roughly the size of a British florin). The obverse legend  is missing an R. Whereas it reads FAN it should read FRAN. 1575 saw the introduction of a new silver coin called the `franc' (also known as the livre d'argent). However, the striking of silver `francs' only started at the end of 1576. At that time these were the largest silver coins ever to have been introduced in France (just shy of dollar size but thinner). The example shown is a `franc au col plat' and has been struck on an oversized flan with a flaw which leaves the date somewhat obscured but identifiable as 158(8). It has a nice strong portrait of Henri III. Ian[/QUOTE]