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10 Scudi - Manuel Pinto de Fonseca
| Issuer | Order of St. John (Knights of Malta) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1762 |
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| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
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| Obverse description | Central field displays the quartered shield of the Order of Malta, combining the eight-pointed cross of the Hospitallers with the Pinto family arms featuring crescents, all surmounted by a grand master's crown above elaborate cartouche scrollwork. The escutcheon is flanked by symmetrical laurel branches forming a wreath-like frame around the central device. The circular Latin legend reading F·EMMANVEL PINTO M·M·H·S·S· is inscribed along the periphery, with the date 1762 incorporated into the legend at the upper left. The overall composition is executed in high relief with fine baroque detailing characteristic of mid-eighteenth-century Maltese coinage. |
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| Reverse lettering | NON SVRREXIT·MAIOR S·X |
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| Additional information |
Manuel Pinto de Fonseca held the Grand Mastership of the Order of St. John longer than almost any other in the Order's history — from 1741 until his death in 1773, a tenure of 32 years. By the 1760s his authority over the island was effectively that of an absolute monarch, and the Maltese mint issued coins in his name accordingly, with denominations scaled to rival those of small European kingdoms.
The 10 Scudi sits at the top of the Order's gold coinage hierarchy. Fr#36 is among the scarcer Fonseca gold issues by surviving population.