Malta (1557-68) 2 tari
This specimen was lot 1191 in CNG sale Triton XXVII (New York, January 2024), where it sold for $7,962.50. The catalog description[1] noted,
"MALTA, Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Jean de Valette. Grandmaster, 1557-1568. AR 2 Tarì. Fort St. Angelo (Birgu) mint. Circular coat-of-arms / Head of St. John the Baptist on platter. Toned with some peripheral iridescence, flan crack, minor roughness. VF. Very rare. From the J. Eric Engstrom Collection, purchased from Seaby."
The rather gruesome image of the head of the prophet on a platter appears on a number of Maltese coins of the early modern period. Severed heads were likely a familiar sight in Malta in the 1550's as the island endured a long siege from Turkish attackers. Grand master Jean de la Valette's heroic efforts in fending off the besiegers led to the main town being renamed for him, Valetta. Ferdinand von Hompesch was the last grand master of the knights of Malta before the Order was evicted from the island by Napoleon. The British in turn evicted the French but never returned the island to the Order, retaining it as a colony until 1964. The Order today runs charity hospitals in Europe and is headquartered in Rome. Thirty tari made a piastra or tallero.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver, this specimen 28 mm diameter, 5.62 g, 10 h axis.
Catalog reference: Gatt 06-2T-66X55; Restelli & Sammut 87; Schembri 3.
- [1]Gasvoda, Michael, Victor England, Eric McFadden, Dave Michaels, Bill Dalzell and Lance Hickman, Triton XXVII, Lancaster, PA: Classical Numismatic Group, LLC, 2023.
Link to:
- Malta (1557-68) 4 tari Jean de Valette
- c.1557 zecchino
- Coins and currency dated 1557