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12 Tari - Antonio Manoel de Vilhena
| Issuer | Order of Malta (Knights of St. John) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1723-1724 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 12 Tari (1⁄1) |
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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 | Armored and draped bust of Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena facing right, wearing a elaborately curled allonge wig typical of the early 18th-century Baroque style. The effigy is rendered in high relief with fine detailing on the cuirass and lace cravat visible at the truncation. The circular Latin legend reads F·D·AN·MANOEL DE VILHENA, distributed around the periphery of the field within a beaded border. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | F·D·AN·MANOEL DE VILHENA |
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| Additional information |
Antonio Manoel de Vilhena served as Grand Master of the Order of St. John from 1722 until his death in 1736, overseeing a period of substantial construction on Malta — most notably Fort Manoel, completed in 1723 and named in his honor by the Knights. The 12 Tari was the Order's principal silver denomination, roughly equivalent in weight and function to the Spanish 8 reales circulating throughout the Mediterranean, allowing it to trade competitively in Levantine markets the Knights depended on for provisioning their fleet.
The two-year window of this issue likely reflects a recoinage or die replacement rather than a change in monetary policy. Vilhena's administration was fiscally active, and multiple denomination types were struck in quick succession during his early years as Grand Master.