4 Zecchini - Manuel Pinto de Fonseca

Manuel Pinto de Fonseca held the Grand Mastership of the Order of Malta longer than any other in the eighteenth century — over three decades, from 1741 until his death in 1773. A Portuguese nobleman of considerable political skill, he steered the Order through a period when its military purpose was increasingly difficult to justify to European powers, yet managed to extract substantial financial concessions from both Rome and Versailles. The 4 Zecchini denomination served the Order's international transactions and diplomatic gift-giving more than everyday commerce.

The .986 fineness places these among the purest gold coinages of any sovereign issuer of the period — finer than the Venetian ducat that inspired the zecchino format.