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10 Grani - Manuel Pinto de Fonseca
| Issuer | Order of Malta (Knights of St. John) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1742 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 10 Grani (1⁄24) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Two clasped hands in the centre of the field, symbolising the pledge of faith and the motto of the Order, a design emblematic of trust and fraternal bond. The denomination numeral X appears below the clasped hands, indicating the value of 10 Grani. A circular Latin legend surrounds the device, incorporating a cross pattée at the beginning and the date 1742 intercalated within the inscription, reading ☩ NON · AES · SED · FIDES · 1742 · X ·, meaning 'Not money, but faith.' |
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| Additional information |
Manuel Pinto de Fonseca served as Grand Master of the Order of Malta from 1741 until his death in 1773 — one of the longest reigns in the Order's history. He inherited a treasury strained by the costs of maintaining the fleet and the fortifications of Valletta, and small copper issues like this one were a practical necessity for local commerce rather than diplomatic display. The Order retained full monetary authority over Malta until Napoleon's bloodless seizure of the island in 1798, which ended over two centuries of coinage in a single afternoon.