bronze 1320-1341 Rare pogh, Levon IV , Cilician Armenia

LEVON TAKAVOR HA in Armenian (="Levon King of the Armenians"), Levon seated on a throne, holding cross and lilly / SHINEAL KAGh SIS in Armenian (="Struck in the city of Sis" in abbreviated form), Cross with dots in fields. Mint of Sis. 16mm, 1.35 grams. Bedoukian #2016, rare.

Levon IV of Armenia (reigned 1320–1341) was a king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, a Christian state located on the southeastern coast of Asia Minor. He belonged to the Hethumid dynasty and ascended the throne as a child, with his reign marked by internal turmoil and increasing external threats, particularly from the Mamluk Sultanate. Despite efforts to maintain ties with European powers and the Papacy, including appeals for military support during the Crusades, Levon IV struggled to defend his weakened kingdom. His rule was plagued by noble rivalries and assassinations, and he was ultimately murdered in 1341, possibly as part of a conspiracy among feuding Armenian barons. His death marked a period of further instability that contributed to the eventual decline of the Cilician Armenian state.