Frederick III of Saarwerden held the archbishopric for over four decades — one of the longest tenures in Cologne's medieval history — and his gulden issues reflect a mint operating with unusual consistency during a period when Rhenish monetary politics were anything but stable. The 1372 date places this piece in the early years of the Rhenish monetary union, formally renewed that decade among Cologne, Mainz, Trier, and the Palatinate to standardize the gulden's weight and fineness against persistent debasement by lesser lords.
Noss remains the indispensable reference for this archbishop's coinage, with the Co II#170 assignment locating this squarely among the earlier gulden types of Frederick's long reign.
Frederick III of Saarwerden held the archbishopric for over four decades — one of the longest tenures in Cologne's medieval history — and his gulden issues reflect a mint operating with unusual consistency during a period when Rhenish monetary politics were anything but stable. The 1372 date places this piece in the early years of the Rhenish monetary union, formally renewed that decade among Cologne, Mainz, Trier, and the Palatinate to standardize the gulden's weight and fineness against persistent debasement by lesser lords.
Noss remains the indispensable reference for this archbishop's coinage, with the Co II#170 assignment locating this squarely among the earlier gulden types of Frederick's long reign.