French States, County of Gien, Geoffrey III, Silver Denier

These silver deniers were struck in the French county of Gien during the rule of Geoffrey III in the 12th century CE—around the time of France's involvement in the Second Crusade. The obverse depicts a cross, with a hammer and a coin in two of its quarters, while the reverse shows the “Fulk” monogram, which originated with the successful rulers of the County of Anjou and was later used by their descendants and neighboring states.

Although not much is known about the life of Geoffrey III of Gien, he was part of a family of French rulers that played influential roles in the Crusades. In fact, some numismatists believe that these coins are actually “immobilized” coinage of Geoffrey II of Donzy, who fought in the First Crusade—meaning the coins were minted to posthumously honor the name of the earlier Geoffrey.

The County of Gien itself was part of a broader mix of territories mostly controlled by local rulers at the time of Geoffrey III’s rule. Though France did have a central monarchy, whose authority had expanded significantly over the previous century, many regions were still governed by a patchwork of semi-independent lords who only loosely acknowledged the king. A more unified France gradually emerged as these lands were brought together through a complex series of wars, inheritances, and marriages.

Each includes a Certificate of Authenticity.