(sold for $21.0)

References: Götz 19b.
Mint Period: 1443-1460 AD
Mint Place: Amberg (Bavaria)
State: Rhein-Pfalz / Electoral Pfalz
Condition: Lightly chipped, otherwise VF.
Denomination: Pfennig (Black Pfennig = Schwarzpfennig)
Rulers: Louis III with John of Neumarkt & Otto I of Mosbach
Diameter: 16mm
Material: Silver
Weight: 0.31gm

Obverse: Gothic initials ("io") above two shields with arms of Bavaria. All within circle.

Reverse: Gothic letters ("am") within circle.

Louis III, Count Palatine of the Rhine (German: Ludwig III. der Ältere or der Bärtige) (23 January 1378 – 30 December 1436, Heidelberg), was an Elector Palatine of the Rhine from the house of Wittelsbach in 1410–1436.

Louis III was the third son of King Rupert of Germany and his wife Elisabeth of Nuremberg. During his father's campaign in Italy 1401-1402 Louis served as imperial vicar. He succeeded his father in 1410 as Elector of the Palatinate but did not run for the German crown. The Palatinate was divided between the four of Rupert's surviving sons. As oldest surving son and new Prince-Elector Louis III received the main part, John received Palatinate-Neumarkt, Stephen received Palatinate-Simmern and Otto received Palatinate-Mosbach.

Louis III was a member of the Parakeet Society and of the League of Constance. Highly cultured and religious he was a patron of the Heidelberg University. Louis III acted as vicar for Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor and was his bearer during the Council of Constance. As such Louis later also executed the sentences against Jan Hus and Jerome of Prague. He also arrested Antipope John XXIII in 1415.

Louis III returned very sick from a pilgrimage in 1427 into the Holy Land which he had organized after the death of his son Ruprecht. From 1430 onwards he was almost blind and in 1435 deprived of power by his wife and her adisors. In the following year he died and was succeeded by his son Louis IV.

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