Franc à Cheval of John the Good

Franc à Cheval of John the Good

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The franc à cheval represents the restoration of sound coinage after the treaty of Brétigny between France and England. The mounted rider is derived from the seal types used by the French kings and nobility from the early twelfth century. The word franc (free) is possibly a punning allusion to the liberation of John II from English captivity.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Franc à Cheval of John the GoodFranc à Cheval of John the GoodFranc à Cheval of John the GoodFranc à Cheval of John the GoodFranc à Cheval of John the Good

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.