Lion / Cross. 15mm, 0.6 grams. Numista 150375; Bedoukian #2242.

Leo V of Cilician Armenia (r. 1374–1375), also known as Leo VI in Armenian numbering, was the last king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling during its final collapse under Mamluk pressure. Ascending the throne amid internal divisions and near-constant warfare, Leo inherited a weakened state isolated from effective Western aid despite its long-standing ties to Crusader and European powers. In 1375 the Mamluks captured the capital Sis, ending the kingdom; Leo was taken captive to Cairo but was later ransomed through the efforts of European monarchs and the papacy. He spent the remainder of his life in exile in Western Europe - recognized ceremonially as “King of Armenia” - and died in Paris in 1393, symbolizing both the fall of Cilician Armenia and the enduring Armenian royal claim in diaspora.