Malta 1624 4 tari
This specimen was lot 1291 in Sincona sale 76 (Zürich, May 2022), where it sold for 3,400 CHF (about US$4,127 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"MALTA. Antoine de Paule, 1623-1626. 4 Tari 1625, Valetta. Selten. Fast vorzüglich. NGC AU53. Überdurchschnittlich gut ausgeprägt. (Order of Malta, Anthony of Paula, 1623-36, four tari of 1625, Valetta mint. Rare, About extremely fine, Extraordinarily well struck.)"
Many of the baroque coins of Malta feature the severed head of John the Baptist on a platter. This type was struck 1623-29, 1634. This example realized over four times the catalog value. Malta, an island between Italy and Tunisia was ruled by the Knights of St. John from the 1500's until their ouster by Napoleon in 1798.
Wikipedia comments, "Fra' Antoine de Paule (c. 1551 – 9 June 1636) was elected the 56th Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller (the Order of Malta) on 10 March 1623. He died on Malta thirteen years later, on 9 June 1636, after a long illness and at the age of 85. His epitaph eulogizes him as a leader who both loved his subjects and was loved by them in return. He is said to have made more resources available to the Order, thus strengthening it. He also sought to fortify ramparts which the Order had erected for defense."
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver, this specimen 10.34 g.
Catalog reference: KM 48, Restelli/Sammut 10. Gatt 13-4T-21x26.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- [1]Richter, Jürg, SINCONA Auction 76, The Annemarie and Gerd Köhlmoos Collection, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2022..
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