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1 Picciolo - Hugues Loubenx de Verdala
| Issuer | Order of St. John |
|---|---|
| Year | 1582-1595 |
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| Currency | Scudo (1530-1825) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse features a central device typical of Hospitaller piccoli coinage, with a standing or emblematic figure discernible in the field amid significant wear and uneven strike. The peripheral Latin legend ORDO HOSP HIERV encircles the design, identifying the issuing authority as the Order of the Hospital of Jerusalem. The flan is irregular and slightly broader than perfectly round, consistent with hand-hammered copper coinage of the late sixteenth century. Surface patination presents a dark brown to olive-green tone with areas of cuprite, indicative of prolonged circulation or burial. |
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| Additional information |
Verdala was elected Grand Master in 1581 largely through Spanish political pressure, and his tenure coincided with a period of relative peace following the Great Siege — which meant fewer emergency monetary demands but also a tighter grip on ordinary coinage for everyday commerce in Malta. The picciolo was the lowest denomination in circulation, used almost exclusively by the local Maltese population rather than the knights themselves.
Restelli's cataloguing of this type remains the primary reference for Hospitaller copper of this period, reflecting how thinly documented these minor issues are in mainstream numismatic literature.