2021-06-11 Fri

John IV Duke of Brabant was the son of Antoine of Burgundy, Duke of Brabant, Luthier and Limburg, and his first wife Jeanne of Saint-Pol. Born on 11th June in the year 403, he was the second Brabantian ruler from the House of Valois.

He is often typified as a weak prince, who was easily influenced by more shrewd and politically able men, such as Philip the Good and John III of Holland. His age and inexperience would have played a major role in this characterization.

In 1425, he founded the University of Leuven. Though it was dissolved during the French Revolutionary Wars, it has two successor institutions that are considered to be the oldest universities in the Low Countries, and the oldest Catholic universities in the world still in operation.

The above shown double groat, struck in Maastricht under the reign of John IV.

Image Source: Wikipedia.org