Frederick IV, Elector Palatine of the Rhine 1596.

[constanius]

Obv: FRlDERlCH PFALTZGRAVE BEY RHEIN
Bust right, in armor. Under the bust a branch, on truncation: CDLC for Claude de la Cloche(1552-C.1630)
Rev: 3 Palatine heraldic shields with helm crested with a lion, Inscription: DES H Ro R ERTZTR VND CHVRF HERTZ IN BEYERN 15 96

Silver, 40mm x 34mm, 14gms.

 

The old coat of arms of the House of Hohenstaufen, the single lion, became the coat of arms of the palatinate. By marriage, the Palatinate's arms also became quartered with those of Welf and later Wittelsbach. The arms of Bavaria were also used with reference to the elector's holdings in Bavaria. This was extended to quartering of the lion and the Bavarian Arms. The orb represented their position as Arch-Steward of the Holy Roman Empire.



The description below the medal is from an 1927 auction catalog of Leo Hamburger, Frankfurt.

My cracked silver medal measures 40mm x 34mm, 14gms the same type as #179, from above, but slightly larger & heavier. The original loop is missing & it was either holed to wear on a chain again, or affixed to a house beam as a good luck charm etc, a bit battered but a charming piece with everything clearly visible. We should all look so good after 400+ years.

Medals of sovereigns mounted in gold, called Gnadenpfennige(grace pennies) in German, were traditionally presented by the rulers as a token of their appreciation and trust. They appeared in the 1560s in Tyrol and Bavaria, and spread very quickly to all the German kingdoms. The fashion for them faded in the first quarter of the 17th century. They were worn by both men and women on long gold chains.

Frederick IV, Elector Palatine of the Rhine (in German, Kurfürst Friedrich IV. von der Pfalz) (March 5, 1574 September 19, 1610) was a Calvinist & became the leader of the Protestant military alliance known as the Protestant Union in 1608.