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4 Zecchini - Antonio Manoel de Vilhena
| Issuer | Order of Malta (Knights of St. John) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1724 |
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| Composition | Gold (.986) |
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| Obverse description | Armored bust of Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena facing right, wearing plate armor with elaborate pauldron detail, his shoulders draped with a voluminous allonge wig rendered in finely engraved curling locks. The effigy is executed in high relief in the Baroque manner. The circumferential Latin legend reads F. D. AN. MANOEL DE VILHENA around the periphery, separated by a small six-pointed star. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Vilhena's reign as Grand Master (1722–1736) coincided with a period of genuine ambition for the Order — he funded the construction of Mdina's main gate and the fortified city that still bears his name. The 4 Zecchini denomination was a prestige issue, minted in quantities that suggest ceremonial distribution rather than workaday commerce. At .986 fine, the gold approaches the theoretical maximum for struck coinage of the period.
The Order's mint on Malta operated under close scrutiny from Rome, and monetary issues required papal acknowledgment of the Grand Master's sovereignty over the island.