12 Tari - Antonio Manoel de Vilhena

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.