Rhodes (1377-96) gigliato
This specimen was lot 575 in Jean Elsen sale 165 (Brussels, June 2026), where it sold for €120 (about US$165 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"ORDRE DE SAINT-JEAN A RHODES, Juan Fernandez de Heredia (1377-1396), AR gigliat. D/ Le grand maître agenouillé à g. devant une croix patriarcale. À d., un château et un annelet. R/ Croix feuillue avec l'écu de l'Ordre à chaque bras. Très Beau. (Order of St. John at Rhodes, John Ferdinand of Heredia, 1377-96, silver gigliato. Obverse: the grandmaster kneels left before a patriarchal cross, a castle to the right; reverse: leafy cross with the arms of the Order on each arm. Very Fine.)"
The Hospitallers were one of the crusading knightly orders in the Holy Land until the loss of Acre, their last castle, in 1291. They were headquartered in Cyprus for a brief period then conquered Rhodes in 1310. They held the island against the Turks until 1521, when Suleiman the Magnificent forced them to leave. After a short sojourn in Sicily, they were granted the island of Malta by Charles V, which they held 1530-1798. Philippe Villiers was the last Grandmaster at Rhodes and the first at Malta in 1530. The Order today runs charity hospitals in Europe and is headquartered in Rome.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.85 g, silver, 28 mm diameter, this specimen 3,92 g.
Catalog reference: Metcalf 1214 var.; Schl. X, 9 var.; CCS 25.
- [1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 165, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2026.
Link to:
- Rhodes (1374-76) gigliato, Robert de Juilly
- Coins and currency dated 1377