Palatinate

The office of the Count Palatine began at the court of the Frankish kings. They were officers and representatives of the king and exercised judicial functions. They gradually acquired areas on the middle Rhine which were soon associated with the name of their office: Palatine (Pfalz). By gaining power and influence from the land ownership, they were also allowed to choose the Roman-German king at least since 1198. Since the year 1214, the family of Wittelsbach held this dignity, who also ruled over Bavaria at the same time. The dignity alternated between the Bavarian and Palatinate line back and forth, until the Golden Bull of 1356, the Palatine were finally associated with the dignity.

With the death of Frederick II in 1556 the actual elector line died out and the line of Palatinate-Simmern took over the rights and obligations. Over the centuries, this fate befell the Counts Palatinate time and again and different branches of the family received the dignity: Palatinate-Simmern died out in 1685 and Palatinate -Neuburg took over the office. In 1742 this died out and Palatinate -Sulzbach exercised the dignity until their extinction in 1799. Now the Counts of Palatinate -Birkenfeld were electors until the year 1806, when the Roman-German Empire was dissolved.

The early Counts of the Palatine minted not only silver pennies, but also gold gulden. Saint John and Peter turned out to be popular reverses. The thalers of the 16th century show the counts in martial character: Always in armor, often with sword, always with a stern look. The rulers of the Palatinate also had a preference for medals, in which they honored the women of the house for their beauty, fertility and good deeds. One of the most famous minting authorities of the Palatinate was Charles III Philipp (1716-1742): he loved the gold and struck the Carolin named after him and the Rhine ducats that are still in demand today.