Knights Templar France Silver Coin // Crusades

Knights Templar France. Philip IV Le Bel, 1268-1314 AD. Gorgeous silver Maille tierce à l’O rond, Paris mint. Struck September 1306. Crusader cross pattée / Châtel tournois; border of ten lis. Great detail! Light gray toning.

Philip IV le Bel ("The Fair") ruled France from 1268 until 1314 AD. Once the patron king of the Templars in France, they fell out of favor with Philip throughout his reign. Then, in league with the current Pope, Philip oversaw the arrest, torture, and execution of hundreds of Knights Templar. On Friday, October 13, 1307, hundreds of Knights Templar were rounded up in France under orders of Philip IV. They were tortured until admitting heresy. Some died under torture, many were burned at the stake for their "evil deeds." From then on, Friday the 13th (especially in October) has become synonymous with bad luck and evil.