COLOGNE Weißpfennig (White Penny) ca. 1405 Frederick III of Saarwerden. VF-

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1405, Cologne (Archbishopric), Frederick III of Saarwerden. Silver Weißpfennig (White Penny) Coin.

Mint Place: Bonn
References: Noss 239-240.
Mint Period: ca. 1404-1405
Denomination: Weisspfennig ("white penny")
Condition: Minor flan splits and damages, weakness of strike, otherwise VF.
Material: Silver
Diameter: 26mm
Weight: 2.19gm



Obverse: Half-length figure of Saint Peter, holding cross-topped scepter and large key. All within gothic church with two towers, between which two shields are placed.
Legend: FRIDICVS AREPVS COLON'

Reverse: Large shield with coat-of-arms, surrounded by three smaller ones. All within tressure, legend around.
Legend: + PE ITA ARCAN MONE BV'



The archbishop of Cologne governs the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne in western North Rhine-Westphalia. Historically the archbishop was ex officio one of the prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire and ruled the Electorate of Cologne.



Frederick von Saarwerden (c. 1348 – April 9, 1414) was archbishop-elector of Cologne as Frederick III from 1370 to 1414. Through the promotion of his great-uncle, Archbishop Kuno II of Falkenstein of Trier, Frederick von Saarwerden was elected archbishop of Cologne at the age of 20, which the Pope in Avignon also confirmed two years later after some misgivings. Frederick found the archbishopric completely plundered by his two predecessors of the County of Mark, Adolf and Engelbert, and had himself promised high payments to the Curia on the occasion of his election. Nevertheless, with the help of his very rich great-uncle Kuno, he succeeded in paying off the debts of the archbishopric within a few years.

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