Sterling Silver Pendant, Kardez, Armenian Bronze, 2093

Denomination: Kardez Date: 1303-1307CE

Description: Armenian Kingdom. Levon III. 1303-1307. King enthroned facing / Short cross.

History: Levon III, also referred to as Leo IV or Leon III, was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia from 1303 to 1307. From the Hethumid dynasty, he was a son of Thoros III and Margaret of Lusignan, daughter of Hugo III, King of Cyprus.
Leon married his cousin Agnes of Lusignan, daughter of Isabella of Armenia and Amalric of Tire.
In 1303 he became king after his uncle Hethum II had entered the Order of the Franciscans and withdrew from the government business. Hethum continued to aid Leon even if he had not wanted to hold the crown officially. Together in 1305 Leon and Hethum led the Armenian army to a victorious battle putting an end to a Mamluk campaign at Baghras . On August 13, 1307, Leon and Hethum, with their entourage of forty men, were invited by the Emir Bilarghu of the Mongols to a banquet in Anazarva , at which an alliance between their peoples was to be negotiated. The Mongols had converted to Islam and after Hethum had blocked them from building a mosque in the capitol city of Sis, they sought revenge for this insult. Emir had the entire delegation murdered at the banquet he had held in their honor. Leon's successor was his uncle Oshin.