Malta 1781 30 tari Dav-1608
This specimen was lot 74310 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, November 2023), where it sold for $240. The catalog description[1] noted, "MALTA. 30 Tari, 1781. Valetta Mint. Emmanuel de Rohan. PCGS Genuine--Repaired, EF Details. Featuring an elegant bust of the Grand Master, this crown does display some minor repair to the fields, but nevertheless offers a pleasing gunmetal gray hue. From the David Sterling Collection." The thirty tari was the equivalent of the piastra and was issued until the island was occupied by the French in 1798. This type was issued 1779 only but is among the more available of this denomination. Malta, an island between Italy and Tunisia was ruled by the Knights of St. John from the 1500's to their ouster by Napoleon in 1798. After Napoleon's fall, the British occupied the island as a base until the 1960's, when Malta became an independent republic. The Knights of St. John, now the Order of Malta, still exist but are based in Rome where they run a hospital. The Maltese used currency derived from their neighbors the Sicilians; 20 grani = one tari, 12 tari = one scudo. This scarce type is listed for 1781, 1785, 1789 and 1790.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver.
Catalog reference: Dav-1608; KM-327.
- Davenport, John S., European Crowns, 1700-1800, 2nd Ed., London: Spink & Son, 1964.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, November 2023 World Collectors Choice Online Auction - Ancient & World Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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