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4 Tari - Ramon Despuig
| Issuer | Order of Malta (Knights of St. John) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1737 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 4.22 g |
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|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | F·D·RAIMVNDVS· DESPVYG·M·M·H·H· |
| Reverse description | Central oval shield bearing the quartered arms of Grand Master Ramon Despuig — combining the cross of the Order of St. John with the personal arms of the Despuig family — surmounted by the Grand Master's crown. The shield is set within elaborate Baroque acanthus scrollwork and foliate ornaments occupying the field. The date 1737 is split to either side of the crowned shield, with '17' to the left and '37' to the right. A fine dentilated border encircles the entire reverse. |
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| Additional information |
Ramon Despuig served as Grand Master for barely four years, dying in office in 1741, which kept his coinage issues limited in both variety and volume. The 4 Tari denomination was the workhorse silver of Hospitaller Malta, used in everyday commerce on the island as well as in the Order's extensive Mediterranean trading and provisioning networks.
The tari itself was a unit inherited from Arab Sicily — the word derives from the Arabic ṭarī — and the Order continued striking it for centuries after taking Malta in 1530, long after the denomination had disappeared elsewhere.