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20 Scudi - Manuel Pinto de Fonseca
| Issuer | Order of Malta (Knights of St. John) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1765-1772 |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Armored bust of Grand Master Fra Emmanuel Pinto de Fonseca facing right, wearing a full-bottomed curled wig and plate armor with decorative pauldrons and gorget, rendered in high relief. The effigy is boldly modeled in the Baroque style, occupying the majority of the field. The circumferential legend in Latin runs around the periphery, interrupted by dots used as word separators. The date 1765 appears in the exergue below the truncation. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Manuel Pinto de Fonseca held the Grand Mastership of the Order of Malta longer than any other in the eighteenth century — from 1741 until his death in 1773 at a claimed age of 92. By the 1760s the Order's finances were under mounting strain, with revenues from its European commanderies increasingly contested by reformist Catholic monarchs hostile to the military orders. The 20 Scudi was among the highest-denomination gold issues the Order struck, intended more for treasury purposes and diplomatic gift-giving than ordinary commerce.
The .840 fineness is notably below the standard for most contemporary European gold coinage, a deliberate choice reflecting the Order's need to stretch bullion reserves.