3 Tari - Hugues Loubenx de Verdala

Hugues Loubenx de Verdala was elected Grand Master in 1581 and proved one of the more politically ambitious holders of that office, securing a cardinalate from Pope Sixtus V in 1586 — the only Grand Master of the post-medieval period to hold both titles simultaneously. His coinage reflects this dual authority, struck at the Valletta mint that his predecessor La Cassière had only recently established on the new island capital. The 3 Tari was the workhorse denomination of Hospitaller silver, circulating alongside Spanish reales that dominated Mediterranean trade.