franc à pied

coin

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June 26, 2026

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The franc à pied was a French coin first minted in 1360 by King John II. It was named "free on foot" to distinguish it from another coin, the franc à cheval ("free on horse"), which depicted the king on horseback. The term "franc" itself likely originated from "Francorum Rex" (King of the Franks) or simply meant "French".12

Initially a gold coin, the franc's name was later applied to the livre tournois. In 1795, following the French Revolution, a new decimal system was introduced, with the franc becoming the official monetary unit of France in 1799. The franc was also adopted by Switzerland, Belgium, and Luxembourg, and many former French colonies in Africa. In 2002, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg replaced the franc with the euro.23

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…latter coin was called the franc à pied because it showed the monarch on foot standing under a canopy. During the 17th century the minting of gold francs ceased, but the name was freely applied by the French public to the new unit of exchange—the livre tournois, a gold coin…
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…latter coin was called the franc à pied because it showed the monarch on foot standing under a canopy. During the 17th century the minting of gold francs ceased, but the name was freely applied by the French public to the new unit of exchange—the livre tournois, a gold coin…
Read More