30 Tarì - Ferdinand von Hompesch

Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim holds the distinction of being the last Grand Master to actually rule Malta, surrendering the island to Napoleon in June 1798 without serious resistance — a capitulation so swift and inglorious that he was subsequently stripped of the Grand Mastership by the Order's own chapter. This coin was struck in the final months before that surrender, making it among the last issues of a sovereign Order that had held Malta since 1530.

The .1 variety designation in KM#345 distinguishes this from a second die pairing produced in the same year. Hompesch's total reign lasted under two years.