20 Grani - Manuel Pinto de Fonseca

Manuel Pinto de Fonseca held the Grand Mastership of the Order longer than any other in the eighteenth century — from 1741 until his death in 1773 — presiding over a Malta that was increasingly wealthy but strategically obsolete as Ottoman naval power waned and the Order's crusading rationale hollowed out. The copper 20 Grani issues of the mid-1750s were struck at the Valletta mint during a period of relative fiscal stability, sustained largely by the Order's European commanderies remitting revenue back to the island.

The three-year span of this type likely reflects a die replacement cycle rather than any political interruption.