Two Million in "Royal Coin" (About One Aspect of the Financial Activity of the Provost of Paris, Pierre Des Essards)

The Cabochien uprising, which swept through Paris in the spring and summer of 1413, was one of the most dramatic episodes in the confrontation between royal authority and the capital's inhabitants. Its prerequisite was a financial crisis resulting from the power struggle among the princes of the blood under the ailing King Charles VI. This article examines the financial activities of Pierre des Essarts in his role as Provost of Paris. His policy of weakening the royal currency through debasement became a key cause of discontent among the townspeople, particularly within the University. The provost failed to achieve his goal of replenishing the royal treasury through this measure and was forced to leave his post. However, in an effort to defend himself against accusations of malpractice, Pierre des Essarts claimed to possess receipts, signed by the Duke of Burgundy, John the Fearless, for the sum of two million écus. This article attempts to trace the origin and purpose of these funds and to determine when the Duke might have received them. The study concludes that the most probable date for the transfer was August 1408. According to the accounts of the Duke of Burgundy's household, the money was awarded to the Duke and his associates for their service in "saving the crown of France". The list of recipients of this "royal gift" included thirteen individuals, one of whom was the Norman Raoul d’Anquetonville. Several scholars have connected these men to the assassination of the king's brother, Louis, Duke of Orléans, in November 1407. Thus, the receipts for funds issued to the Duke of Burgundy in the king's name suggest these individuals' involvement in the Duke of Orléans's death. This connection was not made public; consequently, with the approval of Charles VI, Pierre des Essarts was executed and the receipts disappeared.