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30 Tarì - Ferdinand von Hompesch
| Issuer | Order of Malta (Knights Hospitaller) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1798 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Armored bust of Grand Master Ferdinand von Hompesch facing left, wearing the habit of the Order with a prominent Maltese cross gorget and decorative shoulder armor bearing a lion's head motif. The effigy is rendered in high relief with fine engraving of the drapery folds. A dot appears below the truncation of the bust. The circular legend surrounding the portrait reads F FERDINANDVS HOMPESCH·M·M, identifying the Grand Master in Latin abbreviation. |
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| Reverse description | A double-headed imperial eagle displayed in the center of the field, its breast bearing the quartered shield of the Order of Malta charged with the characteristic eight-pointed Maltese crosses. A royal crown surmounts the shield. The divided date 17-98 flanks the denomination T·30 above the eagle, all within an elaborate wreath of palm and laurel branches. The partial circular legend HOSPITAL· ET S· SEP. HIER· references the full title of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. |
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Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim holds the singular distinction of being both the last Grand Master to rule Malta and the only German ever elected to the position. His tenure lasted less than two years. When Napoleon's fleet appeared off Valletta in June 1798, Hompesch surrendered the island after token resistance — a capitulation so swift and inglorious that he was subsequently stripped of the Grand Mastership by the Russian-backed faction of the Order. 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 .3 variety designation within KM#345 reflects documented die differences among Hompesch tarì strikes — collectors should verify the specific reverse die against Dav EC III reference plates.