| |
 |
 |
| |
|
Sovereign Military Order of Malta |
| |
 |
 |
|
|
|
Though without a
territory since 12 Jun 1798, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta still
regards itself, and is regarded by the states that give it diplomatic
recognition, as a sovereign state. The Knights of Malta (full style
Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes,
and of Malta, Knights of Malta and Chevaliers of Malta [SMOM]. It was a
Christian organization that began as an Amalfitan hospital founded in
Jerusalem in 1080 to provide care for poor, sick or injured pilgrims to the
Holy Land. After the Western Christian re-conquest of Jerusalem in 1099
during the First Crusade it became a religious/military order under its own
charter, and was charged with the care and defense of the Holy Land.
Following the conquest of the Holy Land by Islamic forces, the Order
operated from Rhodes, over which it was sovereign, and later from Malta
where it administered a vassal state under the Spanish viceroy of Sicily. |
It has limited diplomatic status as a "sovereign
entity", complete with passports, coinage (via the world's smallest national
mint), license plates, ITU amateur radio license prefix (1A) and a post
office.
The Knights of St. John Hospitaler of Jerusalem
now functions as
a Roman Catholic
as an order devoted to the construction and maintenance of medical
facilities for use by pilgrims and others in the Holy Land. In this task
they have persevered to the present day, and are still widely known for
their charitable works in health and human services. As crusaders though,
they quickly developed into a military order as well, and were instrumental
in defending Acre and Cyprus, conquering and holding Rhodes, and holding
Malta (by which name they are still generally known today). After Malta was
captured by the French and British during the Napoleonic wars, the Order
fell on hard times, but was revived in the later 19th century as an
instrument of Roman Catholic charitable works. Currently the SMOM maintains
diplomatic relations with 103 countries and Palestine.
Headquarters:
Palazzo di Malta Via Condotti 68
(Rome,
Italy).
Other assets are Villa Malta and the crest of the AventineHill in Rome as
well. |
| The
headquarter of the Order were successively at Jerusalem 1099-1187, Acre
1187-1291, Cyprus 1291-1310, Rhodes 1310-1522, Malta 1530-1798, Trieste
1798-1799, St. Petersburg 1799-1803, Catania 1803-1825, Ferrara 1826-1834
and Rome 1834-date. |
Knights of
Saint John possessions:
- Cos (1215-1523)
- Malta (1530-1798)
- Rhodes (1309-1522)
- St. Barthelemy (1653-1667)
- St. Croix (1651-1665)
- St. Martin (1651-1665)
- Strakonice, a castle and surrounding buildings in Czech Republic (c.
1400-1798)
- Tortuga, a Haiti Island (1653-1667).
|
| SMOM has had
no sovereign territory (other than Fort St Angelo in Malta and a few
properties in Italy with extraterritoriality) since the loss of the island
of Malta in 1798. The United Nations does not classify it as a "non-member
state" but as one of the "entities and intergovernmental organizations
having received a standing invitation to participate as observers." For
instance, while the International Telecommunication Union has granted radio
identification prefixes to such quasi-sovereign jurisdictions as the United
Nations and the Palestinian Authority, SMOM has never received one. For
awards purposes, amateur radio operators consider SMOM to be a separate
"entity", but stations transmitting from there use an entirely unofficial
callsign, starting with the prefix "1A". Likewise, for internet
identification, the SMOM has neither sought nor been granted a top-level
domain. |
| |
| |
c.1050 Order of St. John founded.
15 Feb 1113 Pope Paschal II approved the foundation of the Hospital of
St. John of Jerusalem.
08 Apr 1271 The Knights Hospitaller surrendered the Krak des Chevaliers
(castle in Syria) to the army of the Mamluk sultan Baibars.
15 Aug 1310 The Knights Hospitaller occupy the island of Rhodes
(Knights of St. John Hospitaller of Jerusalem and Rhodes).
Apr 1383 - 1409
During the Great Schism in Papacy, the Order on Rhodes, under
Grand Master Fernández de Heredia, recognizes the Papal
court at Avignon. As a consequence the Popes in Rome declare
Heredia deposed and appointed Lieutenants in his place,
these were not recognized on Rhodes.
24 Dec 1522 The Knights are expelled from Rhodes by Ottoman Empire.
23 Mar 1530 Malta granted as a fiefdom to the Knights of St. John
Hospitaller by Emperor Charles V (Tripoli also granted but
was relinquished in 1551).
26 Oct 1530 Knights of St. John Hospitaller take possession of Malta
(Sovereign and Military Order of the Knights of Malta);
as a feudal fief of the Kingdom of "Sicily" (Naples).
15 Nov 1530 Date of the formal enfeoffment of the Order with the
Island of
Malta by the King of Sicily (in the event the Roman Emperor
Charles V).
18 May 1565 - 08 Sep 1565 Ottoman siege of Malta.
1607 Grand masters also made princes of Holy Roman Empire
(confirmed 1620).
1630 Grand masters ecclesiastical precedence equal to the dignity
of a Cardinal of the Roman Church with the style of
"His Most Eminent Highness."
12 Jun 1798 French occupy Malta, expulsion the Knights.
05 Sep 1800 British occupy Malta (making it a colony in 1814).
14 Dec 1822 By the Treaty of Verona the Order is recognized as a
sovereign state.
1834 Headquarters of the Order moved to the Palazzo di Malta in
Rome (Knights Hospitaller of St. John of Jerusalem).
1869 The Palazzo di Malta and the Villa Malta receive
extraterritorial rights, in this way becoming the only
"sovereign" territorial possessions of modern the Order.
27 Jun 1961 Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of
Jerusalem,
of Rhodes, and of Malta. Constitutional Chartered.
11 Jan 1969 Autonomy granted to the Order resident in Rome by Italy.
24 Aug 1994 Permanent observer status at the United Nations. |
| |
- GRAND MASTERS of the KNIGHTS of
St. JOHN
- full style of the Grand masters:
(a) to 1798: Dei Gratia Sacrae Domus Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis
Hierosolymitani et militaris Ordinis Sancti Sepulchri Dominici Magister
humilis pauperumque Iesu Christi custos (the phrase et militaris Ordinis
Sancti Sepulchri Dominici ceases to be effective 04 Nov 1497, but is not
deleted) ("by the Grace of God, Grand Master of the Sacred Hospital of
Saint John of Jerusalem and of the military Order of the Holy Sepulcher,
humble guardian of the poor of Jesus Christ");
(b) 10 Dec 1798 - 24 Mar 1801: Velikiy Magistr Ordena Svyatogo Ioanna
Ierusalimskogo ("Grand master of the Holy Order of St. John of
Jerusalem");
(c) from 1803: Gran Maestro ("Grand master"); in common official use to
1805: Principe e Gran Maestro ("Prince and Grand master"); Long form:
"His Most Eminent Highness, Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign
Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of
Malta, Most Humble Guardian of the Poor of Jesus Christ."
- Jerusalem Era 1113-1142
- Gerard Sasso (Procurator
of Hospitals)......................Feb 1113 -
03 Sep 1120
- Raymond du Puy de
Provence (Master
of the Order)................1120 - 1159
- Krak des Chevaliers Era 1142-1271
- The first half of the
century has been described as Krak des Chevaliers' "golden age". At its
peak, Krak des Chevaliers (a castle in the west of Syria and north of
Lebanon) housed a garrison of around 2,000. Such a large garrison
allowed the Hospitallers to extract tribute from a wide area. From the
1250s the fortunes of the Knights Hospitaller took a turn for the worse
on 08th April 1271, Krak des Chevaliers was captured by the Mamluk
Sultan Baibars after a siege lasting 36 days, and then purportedly only
by way of a forged letter claiming to be from the Hospitallers' Grand
Master that caused the Knights to surrender.
- Auger de Balben
[or Auger, dit de Balben].......................1159 - 1162
- Arnaud de
Comps.................................................1162 - 1163
- Gilbert d'Aissailly..................................bf.
19 Jan 1163 - 1170
- Gaston de Murols................................................1170 - 1172
- Gérard Joubert de
Syrie.........................................1172 - Oct 1177
- Roger I des
Moulins.............................................1177 - 01 May 1187
- Borrell (Provisor
et custos)...........................................1188
- Ermengard d'Asp.................................................1188 - 1190
- Garnier de Naplous
[Nablus].....................................1190 - af. Jun 1192
- Geoffroy I de
Donjon de Duisson.................................1192 - 1202
- Alfonso, infante de
Portugal....................................1203 - 1206
- Geoffroy II Le Rat..............................................1206 -
af.22 May 1207
- Pierre Guérin de
Montaigu (1st
time)....................bf.
Oct 1207 - af.11 Nov 1227
- Bertrand I de
Thessy [Texis].........................bf. 01 Mar 1228 - 1231
- Pierre Guérin de
Montaigu (2nd
time).................bf.
01 May 1231 - af. May 1236
- Bertrand II de
Comps.................................bf. 20 Sep 1236 - 1239/1240
- Pierre I de
Vieille-Brioude [Vielle-Bride]......................1240 - 17 Sep 1242
- Guillaume I de
Chateuneuf.......................................1242 - af.24 Jun 1258
- Hughes de Revel (Grand
Master of the Order 1267).....bf.
09 Oct 1258 - 01 Apr 1277
- St. John commanders at Kos
- The island was
conquered by the Venetians, who then sold it to the Knights Hospitaller
of Rhodes (the Knights of St John) in 1215. Later the Knights faced the
threat of a Turkish invasion and abandoned the island to the Ottoman
Empire in 1523.
- unknown rulers
1215-1338
- Dragonetto di Gaudiosa.....................................1338
- 1344
- Bertrando di Canyesio......................................1346
- 1353
- unknown ruler 1353-1358
- Raimondo Berenger..........................................1358
- ?
- Bertrin de Gayac.............................................
? - 1381
- Ruggiero di Lupoalto.......................................1381
- 1385
- Hesso Schlegelholtz........................................1386
- 1412
- Luc de Valines....................................................1413
- Hermann von Aue............................................1414
- 1415
- unknown ruler 1415-1421
- Pierre de
Baume............................................1421 - ?
- Gisberto di Miraljes..............................................1428
- Ruggiero di Lubant.........................................1428
- 1433
- Fantino Quarini............................................1433
- 1453
- Jean de
Fay................................................1453 - 1454
- Jean de Chateauneuf........................................1454
- 1457
- Pierre de Brissons.........................................1458
- ?
- Adimar Dupuy...............................................1464
- 1466
- Jacques de la Geltru................................after
1466 and in 1479
- Edoardo di Carmadino.......................................1471
- 1495
- Jean Dadeu.................................................1495
- 1501
- Costanzo Operti............................................1501
- 1503
- Bernardino Piossasco di Airasca............................1503
- 1505
- Berengar von Monsaberg.....................................1505
- 1507
- Antonio di San
Martino.....................................1507 - 1510
- Guiotto Castellana
[Ragusa]................................1510 - 1513
- Francesco
Sans.............................................1513 - 1515
- Jean Parissot de la Valette (GM
K. St John 1557-1568)......1515 - 1516
- Jacques Gibert.............................................1516
- 1519
- Prejan de Bidoux...........................................1519
- 1522
- Pierino da Ponte (GM
K. St John 1534-1535)........................1522
- Acre (Akko) Era 1271-1291
- Nicolas I de Lorgne..................................bf.
04 Aug 1277 - 12 Mar 1284
- Jean I de
Villiers..............................................1284 - 20 Oct 1293
- When the last Christian
stronghold in the Holy Land fell in 1291, the Order settled first in
Cyprus and then, in 1310, led by Grand Master Fra’ Foulques de Villaret,
on the island of Rhodes. From there, defense of the Christian world
required the organization of a naval force; so the Order built a
powerful fleet and sailed the eastern Mediterranean, fighting many
famous battles for the sake of Christendom, including Crusades in Syria
and Egypt.
- Cyprus Era 1291-1307
- Odon de
Pins.........................................bf. 30 Sep 1294 - 17 Mar 1296
- Guillaume II de
Villaret.................................26 Mar 1296 - 1305
- Rhodes Era 1309-1522
- Foulques [Fulk] de Villaret
(1st time)......................bf. 1305 -
Sep 1317
- Gérard de Pins (Lieutenant).........................18
Sep 1317 - 1319
- Maurice de Pagnac
(in dissidence)..........................1317
- 1319
- Foulques [Fulk] de Villaret
(2nd time)..........................1319 -
13 Jun 1319
- Hélion de
Villeneuve.....................................18 Jun 1319 - May 1346
- Dieudonne de Gozon
(until 28 Jun
1346, Lieutenant)..........May 1346 -
03 Dec 1353
- Pierre II de
Corneillan..................................08 Dec 1353 - 24 Aug 1355
- Rogier II DesPins...........................................Aug 1355 -
28 May 1365
- Ramon II Berengar
[Raymond Bérenger].....................01 Jun 1365 - 16 Feb 1374
- Robert de Juilly
(or de Juliac).............................Feb 1374 - 27 Jul 1377
- Juan Fernando de
Erdia [Juan Fernández de Heredia].......24 Oct 1377 - 24 Mar 1396
- Strakonice, a town in
southern Czech Republic, situated about 65 miles (105 km.)
south-southwest of Prague and about 24 miles (38 km.) northeast of the
German frontier. It is noted today for it's very well-preserved castle
and other early buildings. One might also mention in passing that this
is the general region which created the lager beers which have formed
much of the basis for modern American beers - the city of Ceské
Budejovice (Budweis) is just 35 miles (55 km.) to the southeast. Bavor
IV donated the castle and environs to the Order of St. John Hospitallers
(the Knights of Malta) at some point between 1382 and c. 1410. The
Order, which had maintained a chapter house in the town since 1234, held
the locale until it's own dissolution at the end of the 18th century (c.
1400-1798). Strakonice was later took by Bohemia (Austria-Hungary) in
1798.
- Philibert de
Naillac.....................................06 May 1396 - 1421
- Lieutenant; appointed by Pope in
Rome.
- Riccardo
Caracciolo Rossi dei conti di Gerace..........Apr 1383 - 18 May 1395
- Bartolomeo Carafa
della Spina..............................1395 - 25 Apr 1405
- Nicola Orsini di
Campodifiore..............................1405 - 1409
- Antonio I di
Fluviano de Riviere.........................01 Jul 1421 - 26 Oct 1437
- Jean II Bonpar de Lastic.................................06
Nov 1437 - 19 May 1454
- Jacques de Milly
(or Jobert de Milly)....................01 Jun 1454 - 17 Aug 1461
- Pedro Ramon
Zacosta [Pietro Raimondo Zacosta]............24 Aug 1461 - 21 Feb 1467
- Gianbattista
Orsini......................................28 Feb 1467 - 08 Jun 1476
- Full name:
Giovanni Battista Orsini dei conti di Gravina.
- Pierre III
d'Aubusson....................................17 Jun 1476 - 03 Jul 1503
- Emeric de
Amboise [Aimery d'Amboise, dit Chaumont].......10 Jul 1503 - 13 Nov 1512
- Guy de Blanchefort.......................................22
Nov 1512 - 24 Nov 1513
- Fabrizio Del
Carretto dei marchesi del Finale............15 Dec 1513 - 10 Jan 1521
- Malta Era 1530-1798
- Philippe de
Villiers de l'Isle Adam......................22 Jan 1521 - 22 Aug 1534
- After six months of
siege and fierce combat against the fleet and army of Sultan Suleiman
the Magnificent, the Knights were forced to surrender in 1523 and left
Rhodes with military honours. The Order remained without a territory of
its own until 1530, when Grand Master Fra’ Philippe de Villiers de
l’Isle Adam took possession of the island of Malta, granted to the Order
by Emperor Charles V with the approval of Pope Clement VII.
- Peter IV del
Ponte.......................................26 Aug 1534 - 12 Nov 1535
- Full name:
Pietro Del
Ponte, dei signori di Lambriase e Casal Gros. He took office on 10 Nov
1534.
- Didier de Sainte-Jaille,
dit Tholon......................22 Nov 1535 - 26 Sep 1536
- Juan III de Omedes
y Coscón..............................20 Oct 1536 - 06 Sep 1553
-
The Order
lost many of its European holdings following the rise of Protestantism
and French Egalitarianism, but survived on Malta. The property of the
English branch was confiscated in 1540.
- Claude de la
Sangle......................................11 Sep 1553 - 17 Aug 1557
- Jean IV Parisot de
la Valette............................21 Aug 1557 - 21 Aug 1568
- In 1565 the Knights,
led by Grand Master Fra’ Jean de la Vallette (after whom the capital of
Malta, Valletta, was named), defended the island for more than three
months during the Great Siege by the Turks. The fleet of the Order, then
one of the most powerful in the Mediterranean, contributed to the
ultimate destruction of the Ottoman naval power in the Battle of Lepanto
in 1571.
- Pietro V
Guidalotti Ciocchi del Monte....................23 Aug 1568 - 26 Jan 1572
- Jean V L'Eveque de
la Cassiere...........................27 Jan 1572 - 21 Dec 1581
- Maturin de
Lescaut, dit Romegas (lieutenant
in dissidence).1581
- 04 Nov 1581
- Hugh II
Loubeaux-Verdalle................................12 Jan 1582 - 04 May 1595
- Full name:
Hugues de Loubenx des seigneurs de Loubenx et de Verdalle.
- Martin I Garcias [Martín
Garcés (Garzez)]................08 May 1595 - 07 Feb 1601
- Aloysius de
Wignacourt [Alof de Wignacourt]..............10 Feb 1601 - 14 Sep 1622
- Luís I Mendes de
Vasconcellos [Vasconcelhos].............17 Sep 1622 - 07 Mar 1623
- Antonio II de
Paula (took
office 20 Mar 1623)............10
Mar 1623 - 07 Jun 1636
- Juan Pablo
Lascaris de Castellar.........................16 Jun 1636 - 14 Aug 1657
- Full name:
Giovanni Paolo di Giannetto Lascaris di Castellar, de conti di
Ventimiglia.
- Martín II de Redín
y Cruzat Redín Esparza................17 Aug 1657 - 06 Feb 1660
- Annete de Clermont
de Chattegesson.......................09 Feb 1660 - 02 Jun 1660
- Full name:
Annet de Clermont-Chatte
des seigneurs de Geyssans.
- Rafael [Raphael]
Cotoner i d'Olesa Santmartí i Camfulles.05 Jun 1660 - 20 Oct 1663
- Nicolas II Cotoner.......................................23
Oct 1663 - 29 Apr 1680
- Full name:
Nicolau Cotoner i d'Olesa
Santmartí i Camfulles.
- The Knights of Malta
had a strong presence within the Imperial Russian Navy and the
pre-revolutionary French Navy. When De Poincy was appointed governor of
the French colony on St. Kitts in 1639 he was a prominent Knight of St.
John and dressed his retinue with the emblems of the Order. In 1651, the
Knights bought from the Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique the islands of
Sainte-Christophe, Saint Martin (1651-1665) and Saint Barthélemy
(1653-1667). The Order's
presence in the Caribbean was eclipsed with De Poincy's death in 1660.
He had also bought the island of Saint Croix (1651-1665) as his personal estate and
deeded it to the Knights of St. John. In 1665, the order sold their
Caribbean possessions to the French West India Company, ending the
Order's presence in that region. Tortuga, an island lying off the north
coast of Haiti was a major pirate base for nearly a century (1629-1725).
This island was more-or-less the center of operations for the loose-knit
buccaneer network known as the "Brethren of the Coast", which reached
the zenith of its power under Henry Morgan, 1667-1672. Tortuga came
nominally to the Knights of St. John from 1653 to 1667 and was later
took by France.
- Gregorio Carafa
dei principi della Roccella..............02 May 1680 - 20 Jul 1690
- Pierre-Adrien de
Wignacourt..............................27 Jul 1690 - 04 Feb 1697
- Ramon III
Perellós i de Rocafull.........................05 Feb 1697 - 10 Jan 1720
- Full name:
Ramon Rabassa de Perellós i
de Rocafull Híjar i Vives de Boíl, dels senyors de Benetússer i Barons
de Dosaigües.
- Marc'Antonio Chigi
Zondadari dei marchesi di San Quirico.14 Jan 1720 - 16 Jun 1722
- António Manuel de Vilhena
, dos condes de Vila Flor......19 Jun 1722 - 12 Dec 1736
- Raymond III
Despugh......................................16 Dec 1736 - 15 Jan 1741
- Full name:
Ramon
Despuig y Martínez de Marcilla de los condes de Montealegre [Ramon
Despuig i Martínez de Marcilla Rocabertí de Dameto i Ram de Montoro,
dels comtes de Montenegro i Montoro].
- Manuel I Pinto da
Fonseca................................18 Jan 1741 - 24 Jan 1773
- Francisco Ximenez
De Tejada..............................28 Jan 1773 - 09 Nov 1775
- Full name:
Francisco
Ximénez de Tejada de los señores de Sobrarbe y condes de Aragón
[Francisco Antonio Ximénez de Tejada y Eslava López de Mirafuentes y
Vicuña Zozaya, de los señores de Sobrarbe y condes de Aragón].
- Emmanuel II de
Rohan-Polduc..............................12 Nov 1775 - 13 Jul 1797
- Full name:
François-Marie-des-Neiges-Emmanuel de Rohan, comte du Polduc, seigneur
de Henleix.
-
The decree
of the French National Assembly Abolishing the Feudal System (1789)
abolished the Order in France, as well as the dues which have been
substituted for them, under whatever denomination they are known or
collected (even when compounded for), possessed by secular or regular
congregations, by holders of benefices, members of corporations
(including the Order of Malta and other religious and military orders),
as well as those devoted to the maintenance of churches, those
impropriated to lay persons and those substituted for the portion
congrue, are abolished [The Decree Abolishing the Feudal System, August
11, 1789, J.H. Robinson, ed., Readings in European History 2 vols.
(Boston: Ginn, 1906), 2: 404-409].
The French Revolutionary
Government seized the assets and properties of the Order in France in
1792.
- Ferdinand Joseph
Freiherr von Hompesch zu Bollheim.......17 Jul 1797 - 26 Aug 1798
- Full name:
Ferdinand
Joseph Hermann Freiherr von Hompesch zu Bollheim. He abandons Malta on
22 Jun 1798, abdicates on 06 Jul 1799. In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte
occupied the island for its strategic value during his Egyptian
campaign. Because of the Order’s rule prohibiting them to raise weapons
against other Christians, the knights were forced to leave Malta.
Although the sovereign rights of the Order in the island of Malta had
been reaffirmed by the Treaty of Amiens (1802), the Order was unable to
return to Malta. In 1577, the German Bailiwick of Brandenburg became
Lutheran, but continued to pay its financial contribution to the Order
until the branch was turned into a merit Order by the King of Prussia in
1812. The "Johanniter Orden" was restored as a Prussian Order of Knights
Hospitaller in 1852.
- Note:
There is really little to
be said about Hompesch except that he was undoubtedly the worst Grand
Master the Order ever had. The situation of Malta vis-à-vis events in
Europe had become steadily more ominous over the previous decade (Rohan
had ordered the building of Fort Tigné as yet
another part of the protective ring around Valletta) and it was certain that Revolutionary
France had its eye on the island. In addition a rather small number of
French Knights clearly sympathized with the new regime and worked
against the interests of the Order (it should be noted that the vast
majority, however, were the most valiant defenders of the Island – in
the final siege the Spanish Knights actually remained neutral because
Spain was then allied to France). Hompesch, elected because of his
diplomatic skills, absolutely refused to believe in a French attack and
made no preparations to meet it (even though he was given very reliable
reports that one was coming – he preferred to believe it was sailing
straight to Egypt). With a motivated force of defenders, ample supplies
and a strategy of holding the impregnable city of Valletta while leaving
the rest of the island to the French invaders, Napoleon’s forces would
have found themselves in severe trouble. The fortifications of Valletta
were surely the most formidable of Europe – fully equipped with some
1400 cannon they would have been extremely difficult for the French army
to overwhelm. In addition, Malta only had to hold out for a relatively
short time because the British fleet under Admiral Nelson was actively
hunting for Napoleon’s expeditionary force. The French forces had
appeared off Malta on 09 June 1798, began landing on the 10th and, on
the 12th, after Hompesch’s inaction insured its success, accepted the
surrender of the Grand Master. Had Valletta held out just a few weeks
the situation would have been entirely different: Napoleon was under
orders not to risk the Egyptian Expedition if Malta resisted, and the
possibility of his fleet being attacked by the British was an ever
present danger. In fact, less than two months later, on 01st August,
Nelson inflicted a crushing defeat on the French at the Battle of the
Nile, sinking or capturing all but two of the French warships (including
the huge French 100, L’Orient, which blew up taking all the great
treasures Napoleon plundered from the Order to the bottom of Aboukir
Bay). Had Nelson been able to do this earlier, while Napoleon was tied
down attempting to take Valletta, he would have marooned Napoleon and
his troops, thus changing European history. In any case, the French
garrison on Malta did not last very long: the Maltese revolted in
September 1799 and with British help the French surrendered a year
later. The island remained a British possession until Malta became
independent on 21 September 1964 (it became a republic on 13 December
1974).
- Thomas di Contara......................................................1798
d. 1805
|
| |
|
ORDER OF MALTA Coinage: c. 1600 - 1798 |
| Currency: Scudo = 12 tari = 240 grani;
Zecchino = 100 tari. |
| Picciolo (Diniere)
and 3 Piccioli copper coins were also produced from c.1600-1657. |
| |
|
|
| KM#A256
/ Davenport 1600
30 Tari (2½ Scudo). Year:
1757. Weight:
28.89g. Metal:
Silver.
Diameter:
42.50 mm. Edge:
Decorated. Alignment:
Coin. Mint:
N/A. Obverse:
"NON SVRREXIT MAIOR" (Maltese
Motto: "Non Greater has Arisen!")
around center figure. Saint John the Baptist standing and holding a
banner, Paschal Lamb at his feet in the center. Value "T. XXX" at
the bottom. Reverse:
Sovereign crowned quartered coat-of-arms
within foliage in the center.
"F
. EMMANVEL PINTO . M . M . H . S . S . 1757"
written around
coat-of-arms. Mintage:
N/A.
Minted Years: 1756-1759. Grand Master:
Father Manuel I Pinto da Fonseca (1741-1773).
Note: Varieties exits with complete
cross on the top of the crown, different sizes of legends written,
off-centered from various sides and the variations in the number,
thickness and sizes of grasses at the feet and around Saint John the
Baptist. |
|
 |
Decorated edge of the above coin. |
| Dom Frei Manuel Pinto da Fonseca
was a Knight of the Langue of Portugal. He was a Portuguese
Nobleman, the son of Miguel Álvaro Pinto da Fonseca, Alcaide-Mór de
Ranhados. His mother was Ana Pinto Teixeira. On 25 May 1743 he gave
his name to the then town of Qormi giving it the status of a city (Città
Pinto). In 1749, one of his bodyguards, Cassar, refused to join a
plot led by Pasha Mustafa to stage a Muslim slave revolt. This
refusal led to the exposure and suppression of the revolt. This
event was then celebrated on every anniversary, 29 June. Pinto
created several new noble titles which was greatly resented by some
of the older nobles of Malta and gained a reputation for imposing
heavy taxes. He expelled the Jesuits from Malta. He completed the
Auberge de Castille, one of the most important buildings in the
capital city, Valletta, which had been started in 1574 and his bust
and arms adorn its façade. Today this building houses the Office of
the Prime Minister. During his reign, in 1764, Pinto da Fonseca
negotiated with King Frederick II ("Frederick the Great") of Prussia
a reunification of the Protestant Bailiwick of Brandenburg with the
Order of Malta, but as Pope Clement XIII would not allow admission
into a Roman Catholic organization of men he viewed as heretics and
the agreement came to naught. He made substantial donations to the
Conventual Church, and of the most notable mementos worth mentioning
are two large and heavy bells cast by the Master Founder of the
Order of St. John, Aloisio Bouchut in 1747 and 1748 respectively
which still hang in the belfries of the Co-Cathedral. Pinto built
several storehouses on the Marina which still bear his name. When he
died his body was laid to rest in a monument with a mosaic portrayal
of him. This is a major tourist attraction in Malta. He was a friend
of Cagliostro. His coat of arms portrays five red crescents
symbolizing that he once defeated five Ottoman Turks
single-handedly. The city of Qormi adopted this as its own coat of
arms and flag. Actually, those are the Arms of the Pinto family with
the enamels exchanged. He had an illegitimate son named José António
Pinto da Fonseca e Vilhena by Rosenda Paulichi (daughter of Alberigo
Paulichi and Patronilla Ramuzetta). His son married his first cousin
Maria Inácia Pinto da Fonseca de Sousa Teixeira e Vilhena
[illegitimate daughter of Francisco Vaz Pinto (his father's brother)
by Clara Cerqueira]. |
|
| |
|
|
| KM#342 / RS.193/34
Scudo (12 Tari).
Year: 1796.
Weight: 11.57g.
Metal: Silver.
Diameter: 33.00
mm. Edge:
Reeded. Alignment:
Coin. Mint:
N/A. Obverse:
Date at the top split by
crowned arms of the Order flanked by branches. "S. J." written at
the bottom. Reverse:
Bust of Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc as Grand master of the
Knights of Malta facing right. "F. EMMANUEL DE ROHAN M. M." written around him clockwise.
Mintage: N/A.
Minted Years: One
year Type. Grand Master:
Father
Emmanuel de Rohan
(1775 to 1797). |
|
 |
My Coin was part of ex-jewelry, therefore contains
four join marks in X position. Two of such marks can be as seen in edge image. |
| Emmanuel de
Rohan-Polduc (April 18, 1725 - July 14, 1797 Valletta, Malta) was a
member of the wealthy and influential Rohan family of France and
Grand Master of the Knights of Malta from 1775 to 1797. Emmanuel de
Rohan-Polduc succeeded the unpopular Grand Master Francisco Ximenes
de Texada. During his rule Fort Tigne was built and St. Lucian's
Tower and battery were upgraded, and as result of this upgrading the
tower was renamed Fort Rohan. Rohan-Polduc also authored the Code de
Rohan, a constitutional law book published in two volumes titled
Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes of Malta in 1782. Grand Master
Rohan-Polduc elavated the village of Żebbuġ to the status of city,
naming it Cittàde Rohan. To commemorate this event the people of
Żebbuġ constructed an archway. |
|
| |
|
|
| KM#345.3
/ Davenport 1611B
30 Tari (2½ Scudo). Year:
1798. Weight:
29.69g. Metal:
Silver.
Diameter:
40.50 mm. Edge:
Decorated. Alignment:
Medal. Mint:
Malta. Obverse:
Date split at the top by crowned double-headed eagle with cross in
each beak and large quartered Maltese shield at chest in the center.
"HOSPITAL. ET S. SEP. HIER. 17 + 98" written clockwise around the
Coat of Arms. Value "T. 30" written on the head of the eagles.
Reverse:
Armored bust of Ferdinand von Hompesch as Grand master of the
Knights of Malta facing left. Lion head on shoulder drapery. "F.
FERDINANDVS HOMPESCH M. M." written clockwise around him. Dot at the
bottom. Mintage:
N/A.
Minted Years: One year
type. Grand Master:
Father Ferdinand Joseph
Freiherr von Hompesch zu Bollheim (1797-1798).
Note:
It is believed that this issue was
struck during French occupation of Malta from 6th to 11th June 1798. |
|
 |
Decorated edge of the above coin. |
| Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim
(November 9, 1744 – May 12, 1805) was the 71st Prince and Grand
Master of the Order of Malta, the first German to be elected to the
office. Hompesch was born in the village of Bolheim, now part of
Zülpich in the Eifel region. He received the baptismal names
Ferdinand Joseph Antoine Herman Louis. He joined the Order of Saint
John at a young age, serving as a page to the Grand Master Manuel
Pinto da Fonseca. He spent twenty-five years as the order's
ambassador at the court of Vienna before being made Grand Bailiff of
Brandenburg. On July 17, 1797 Hompesch was elected Grand Master. As
Grand Master in Malta he raised the towns of Zabbar, Zejtun and
Siggiewi to the status of cities.
In 1798 Hompesch was warned that the French
fleet which was sailing to Egypt intended to attack Malta as well.
Hompesch disregarded the warning and took no action to reinforce the
island's defences. On June 6, 1798, the advance squadron of the
French fleet reached Malta. One ship was permitted to enter the
harbour for repairs. On June 9, the main fleet arrived. The French
commander Napoléon Bonaparte had a force of 29,000 men against
Hompesch's 7,000. Bonaparte demanded free entrance to the harbour
for the entire fleet with the excuse to get water provisions.
Hompesch replied that only two ships at a time could do so. Napoleon
saw it as a provocation and ordered the invasion of the Maltese
Islands.
On June 10 the French fleet began disembarking. The French forces
were supported by a local insurrection of Maltese, many of whom
wished to get rid of the Knights. The rules of the Order prohibited
fighting against Christians and many of the French members of the
order did not want to fight against the French forces. Hompesch
capitulated on June 11. The following day a treaty was signed by
which the order handed over sovereignty of the island of Malta to
the French Republic. In return the French Republic agreed to "employ
all its credit at the congress of Rastadt to procure a principality
for the Grand Master, equivalent to the one he gives up". Hompesch
was also given an annual pension. Hompesch left Malta for Trieste on
18 June 1798. He resigned as Grand Master on July 6, 1799. In 1804
he went to Montpellier in France where he died one year later of
asthma. He is buried in the Church of Sainte Eulalie in Montpellier. |
|
| |
| Siege of
Malta 1798-1800: On 19 May 1798, a French fleet
sailed from Toulon, escorting an expeditionary force of over 30,000 men
under General Napoleon Bonaparte. The force was destined for Egypt,
Bonaparte seeking to expand French influence in Asia and force Britain to
make peace in the French Revolutionary Wars, which had begun in 1792.
Sailing southeast, the convoy collected additional transports from Italian
ports and at 05:30 on 9 June arrived off Valletta, the heavily fortified
port-city on the island of Malta. Grand Master Ferdinand von Hompesch zu
Bolheim, refused Bonaparte's demand that his entire convoy be allowed to
enter Valletta and take on supplies, insisting that Malta's neutrality meant
that only two ships could enter at a time. On receiving this reply,
Bonaparte immediately ordered his fleet to bombard Valletta and on 11 June
General Louis Baraguey d'Hilliers directed an amphibious operation in which
several thousand soldiers landed at seven strategic sites around the island.
The French Knights deserted the order, and the remaining Knights failed to
mount a meaningful resistance. Approximately 2,000 native Maltese militia
resisted for 24 hours, retreating to Valletta once the city of Mdina fell to
General Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois. Although Valletta was strong
enough to hold out against a lengthy siege, Bonaparte negotiated a surrender
with Hompesch, who agreed to turn Malta and all of its resources over to the
French in exchange for estates and pensions in France for himself and his
knights. Bonaparte then established a French garrison on the islands,
leaving 4,000 men under Vaubois while he and the rest of the expeditionary
force sailed eastwards for Alexandria on 19 June. On 02 September, this
anger erupted in a popular uprising during an auction of church property,
and within days thousands of Maltese irregulars had driven the French
garrison into Valletta. Valletta was surrounded by approximately 10,000
irregular Maltese soldiers led by Emmanuel Vitale and Canon Saverio Caruana.
The Maltese were armed with 23 cannon and a small squadron of coastal
gunboats. Although there was intermittent skirmishing between the garrison
and the Maltese, the fortress was too strong for the irregulars to assault.
Late in September, a British convoy consisting of 13 battered ships under
Captain Sir James Saumarez appeared off the island. In mid-September, a
squadron of Portuguese ships also had arrived at the island. They included
the Príncipe Real, Rainha de Portugal, São Sebastião and Afonso de
Albuquerque, and the British ship HMS Lion, all under the command of Tomás
Xavier Teles de Castro da Gama, Marquess of Niza. This force had been sent
from the Tagus to augment Nelson's fleet, and after a brief stay off Malta
continued to Alexandria. The Portuguese ships returned to the blockade of
the island in October. Late in September, a British convoy consisting of 13
battered ships under Captain Sir James Saumarez appeared off the island.
Survivors of the Battle of the Nile, they were in urgent need of repair and
unable to directly assist in the siege. On 12 October, the British ships of
the line HMS Alexander under Captain Alexander Ball, HMS Culloden under
Captain Thomas Troubridge and HMS Colossus under Captain George Murray
joined Niza's ships off Malta, marking the formal start of the blockade. On
24 October, after a ten day passage from Naples, Nelson joined the blockade
squadron in HMS Vanguard accompanied by HMS Minotaur. On 28 October, Ball
successful completed negotiations with the French garrison on the small
island of Gozo, the 217 French soldiers there agreeing to surrender without
a fight and transferring the island. 1799 was a frustrating year for the
British and Maltese forces deployed against Malta, as efforts to secure
sufficient forces to prosecute the siege were repeatedly denied. The British
blockade continued to prevent French efforts to resupply Valletta during the
early summer of 1800, and by August the situation was desperate: no horses
or pack animals, dogs, cats, fowls or rabbits still lived within the city,
the cisterns had been emptied and even firewood was in short supply. On 03
September, with his men dying of starvation and disease at the rate of more
than 100 a day, Vaubois called a council of his officers at which they
unanimously decided to surrender. The next day, envoys were sent to the
British and in the afternoon General Pigot and Captain Martin signed the
agreed terms with Vaubois and Villeneuve. The Maltese were excluded from
negotiations entirely, although their commander, Alexander Ball,
subsequently became the first Governor of Malta. The terms of the surrender
were absolute: the island, its dependencies, fortifications and military
supplies and ships were all turned over to British control. The capture of
Malta returned control of the central Mediterranean to Britain and was an
important step in the invasion and liberation of Egypt from French rule in
1801. An essential condition of the Treaty of Amiens in the same year, which
brought an end to the French Revolutionary War, was that Malta be evacuated
by the British. Russian Tsar Alexander I had a long standing claim to the
island as titular head of the Knights of St. John, and demanded that it was
turned over to Russian control before agreeing any alliance with Britain.
Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger flatly refused, and the Napoleonic
Wars with France began soon afterwards, in part due to the failure of
Britain to comply with this tenet of the treaty. The island subsequently
remained in British hands until its independence in 1964. |
| |
| |
- First Roman Era 1798-1826
- Paul Romanov (Emperor
Paval I Petrovich of Russia).......10
Sep 1798 - 23/24 Mar 1801
- to 07 Nov 1798 as
Protector of the Order and acting Grand Master.
- Prince Nikolay Ivanovich Graf
Saltykov (acting)..........24 Mar 1801 - 09
Feb 1803
- Giuseppe Caracciolo dei marchesi
di Sant'Eramo (opposition).....1802 - 09
Feb 1803
-
He was
appointed by the Pope.
- Giovanni Battista
Tommasi de Cortona.....................09 Feb 1803 - 13 Jun 1805
- Lieutenant-Generals as acting
Grand Masters
- Innico-Maria Guevara Svardo.........................29
Nov 1805 - 25 Apr 1814
-
He was
confirmed on 05 Dec 1805.
- Giuseppe Caracciolo (2nd
time in opposition)........17 Jun 1805 - 10 Feb 1809
- Andre DiGiovanni
e Centelles........................26 Apr 1814 - 10 Jun 1821
-
He was
confirmed on 25 Jun 1814.
- Ferrara Era 1826-1834; Lieutenant-General
as acting Grand Masters
- Antoine Busca
Arconati Visconti.....................11 Jun 1821 - 19 May 1834
- Second Roman Era 1834-date; Lieutenant-Generals
as acting Grand Masters till 1879
- After having
temporarily resided in Messina, Catania and Ferrara, in 1834 the Order
settled definitively in Rome, where it owns, with extraterritorial
status, the Magistral Palace in Via Condotti 68 and the Magistral Villa
on the Aventine Hill.
- Conte Carlos Candida................................23
May 1834 - 12 Jul 1845
- Philippe Graf
von Colloredo-Mels und -Waldsee.......15 Sep 1845 - 09 Oct 1864
-
He was
confirmed on 30 Sep 1845.
- Alessandro [Alexandre]
Ponsian Borgia...............26 Feb 1865 - 13 Jan 1872
- Giovanni
Battista Ceschi a Santa Croce..............14 Feb 1872 - 28 Mar 1879
- Full name:
Baron
Giovanni Battista Ceschi a Santa Croce, conte di Cavedine.
- Gianbattista Ceschi
(continued)..........................28
Mar 1879 - 24 Jan 1905
- Galeazzo Graf von Thun und Hohenstein....................06
Mar 1905 - 26 Mar 1931
- Pio Franchi
de' Cavalieri (acting
& Lt.
Gen.).......26
Mar 1931 - 30 May 1931
- Ludovico Chigi...........................................30
May 1931 - 14 Nov 1951
- Full name:
Ludovico Chigi Della Rovere Albani, principe di Farnese, di Campagnano e
di Soriano. Large-scale hospitaller and charitable activities were
carried out including WWII during his reign.
- Antonio Hercolani Simonetta
(acting & Lt. Gen.).....14
Nov 1951 - 25 Apr 1955
- Full name:
Conte Palatino Don Antonio Hercolani Fava Simonetti.
- Ernesto Paternò
Castello (acting
& Lt.
Gen.)........25
Apr 1955 - 11 May 1962
- Full name:
Ernesto Vittorio Maria
Vincenzo Luigi Paternò-Castello dei duchi di Càrcaci.
- Angelo de Mohana [Mojana]
dei signori di Cologna.........11 May 1962 - 17 Jan 1988
- Giancarlo Pullavicini
(acting & Lt. Gen.)...........17
Jan 1988 - 11 Apr 1988
- Andrew Willoughby Ninian Bertie..........................11
Apr 1988 - 07 Feb 2008
- In 1998 due to an
agreement made with the Maltese Government, the Order has returned to
Malta. It once again has property in Malta, but its headquarters are
still in Rome. This agreement grants the Order the exclusive use of Fort
St Angelo in the town of Birgu, Malta. This agreement has a duration of
99 years.
- Giacomo Dalla
Torre (acting
& Lt.
Gen.).............07
Feb 2008 - 11 Mar 2008
- Full name:
Giacomo Dalla
Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto, conte di Sanguinetto.
- Robert Matthew Festing...................................11
Mar 2008 - 28 Jan 2017
- Festing resigned as
prince and grand master in January 2017. Festing and the Holy See had
been in dispute since December 2016, when the order's Grand Chancellor,
Albrecht Freiherr (Baron) von Boeselager, was dismissed for allowing the
distribution of condoms in a medical project for the poor. Boeselager
appealed to Pope Francis, who appointed a five-member commission to look
into the circumstances. Festing refused to cooperate, describing the
commission as an illegitimate intervention in the order's sovereign
affairs, accusing its members of a conflict of interest, and setting up
his own internal commission. The Vatican, in turn, rejected what it said
was an attempt to discredit members of the commission and ordered the
leaders of the institution to cooperate with the inquiry. The papal
commission was due to deliver its findings to the pope. Cardinal Raymond
Leo Burke tried to convince Festing to withdraw his resignation and keep
fighting the pope. On 28 January 2017, the Order's Sovereign Council
accepted Festing's resignation and re-instated Boeselager, a clear
defeat for Burke. The Sovereign Council accepted the resignation of
Festing and named Fra' Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein as Lieutenant ad
interim. The Sovereign Council presided over by the Lieutenant ad
interim annulled the decrees establishing the disciplinary procedures
against Boeselager and the suspension of his membership in the Order.
Boeselager resumed his office as Grand Chancellor immediately.
- Ludwig Hoffmann
von Rumerstein
(acting & Lt. Gen.).......28
Jan 2017 - 30 Jan 2017
- On 29 April 2017, in a
meeting of the Grand Council of State, Fra' Giacomo Dalla Torre was
elected as Lieutenant and also will serve as interim Grand Master for
the second time for a period of one year, working with Archbishop
Giovanni Becciu, who on Pope Francis's orders is temporarily overseeing
the Order following the forced resignation of the Order's Grand Master,
Fra' Matthew Festing.
- Giacomo Dalla
Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto............30
Jan 2017 - 29 Apr 2020
- He was acting till 03
May 2018. He also served as acting for a brief period during 2008. He
was elected Prince and Grand Master of the Order on 02 May 2018. Grand
Commander of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta: 02 June 2004 – 12
February 2009. He died of throat cancer on 29 April 2020. Grand
Commander Ruy Gonçalo do Valle Peixoto de Villas Boas becomes lieutenant
ad interim.
- Ruy Gonçalo do
Valle Peixoto de Villas Boas (acting).....29
Apr 2020 - date
- Villas Boas was born in
Porto, Portugal on 27 November 1939. He earned a degree in industrial
chemical engineering. After fulfilling his military service requirement,
he worked as an engineer for the Portuguese Tobacco Company, where he
became Director of Research and Development. He has been a full member
of the Cooperation Centre for Scientific Research Relative to Tobacco (CORESTA)
and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). In 1986 he
was Vice-President of the Scientific Commission of CORESTA. In 1984
Villas Boas became a member of the Order of Malta's Portuguese
Association. In 1996 he became a Knight in Obedience. In 2008, following
the death of his wife, he became a professed Knight of Justice, taking
his solemn vows in 2015. He has held many positions in the Order,
including that of the Grand Master's Delegate in Brazil, Councillor,
Chancellor, Vice President of the Portuguese Association, and Vice
Delegate of the National Associations. For many years he has made the
material and spiritual welfare of inmates of a Portuguese prison his
personal mission. He participates in the Order's pilgrimages to Fátima
and Lourdes. At the Chapter General of May 30–31, 2014, Villas Boas was
elected a member of Government Council for a five-year term from May
2014 to April 2019. He was elected Grand Commander by the Chapter
General on 01 May 2019.
|
| |
|
SOVEREIGN ORDER - Medallic Coinage: 1961-date. |
| Currency: Scudo = 12 tari = 240 grani;
Zecchino = 100 tari. |
| No coins were
issued by the Order from 1799-1960. The symbolic coins issued by the Order
since 1961 are intended to continue the last independent coinage of the
Order on Malta in 1798. These coins are mostly issued in proof condition.
They have a theoretical fixed exchange value with the Italian Lira. Sales of
these coinage maintain the Order's hospitals, clinics and leprosariums
around the world. |
| |
|
|
| X#14
2 Scvdi. Year:
1965. Weight:
24.04g. Metal:
0.9860 Silver.
Diameter:
40.00 mm. Edge:
Reeded. Alignment:
Coin. Mint:
N/A. Obverse:
"F. ANGELVS DE MOJANA M.M.H.H" written
around his portrait in center with date at the bottom. Designer
initials: MONASSI below bust. Reverse:
"NON SVRREXIT MAIOR" (Maltese Motto: "Non Greater has
Arisen!") written around. Saint John the
Baptist standing and holding a banner, Paschal Lamb at his feet in
the center. Value at the bottom. Designer initials: MONASSI near "MAIOR".
Mintage:
3,000.
Minted Years: 1965 and
1966. Grand Master:
Father Angelo de Mohana [Mojana] dei signori di Cologna (1962-1988). |
|
|
| X#85
10 Grani. Year:
ND (1981). Weight:
9.73g. Metal:
Bronze.
Diameter:
32.50 mm. Edge:
Reeded. Alignment:
Coin. Mint:
N/A. Obverse:
"INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PERSONS
1981" written at the top. Aerial view of Buildings with SMOM symbol
and value at the bottom. Reverse:
"FR. ANGELVS DE MOJANA M.M.H.H." written
around his portrait in center. Designer initials: VEROI at the
bottom. Mintage:
3,000.
Minted Years: One year
type. Grand Master:
Father Angelo de Mohana [Mojana] dei signori di Cologna (1962-1988). |
|
| |
| |
|
ORDER OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM -
Medallic
Coinage ND (1965) |
| Currency:
Zecchino = 100 tari. |
| These four medallic coins were
produce for celebrating the 400th Anniversary of Great Siege against Turk
naval force. "ERG" and "f" initials are on the reverse side of these coins. |
| |
|
|
X#401 1
Tari. Year:
ND (1965). Weight:
2.94g. Metal:
Brass.
Diameter:
20.00 mm. Edge:
Plain. Alignment:
Coin. Mint:
Franklin Mint. Obverse:
"QUADR CENTENNIAL OF THE GREAT SIEGE OF
MALTA"
written around. SMOM symbol in the center with value and dates
1565-1965.
Reverse:
"SOVEREIGN ORDER OF SAINT JOHN OF JERUSALEM" written
around Crowned arms in the center with Roman year MXLVIII (1048 CE).
Mintage:
3,315.
Minted Years: One year
type. |
|
|
X#402
25 Tari. Year:
ND (1965). Weight:
11.11g. Metal:
Franklinium.
Diameter:
25.00 mm. Edge:
Reeded. Alignment:
Coin. Mint:
Franklin Mint. Obverse:
"QUADR CENTENNIAL OF THE GREAT SIEGE OF
MALTA"
written around. Malta's map in the center with value and dates
1565-1965.
Reverse:
"SOVEREIGN ORDER OF SAINT JOHN OF JERUSALEM" written
around Crowned arms in the center with Roman year MXLVIII (1048 CE).
Mintage:
3,316.
Minted Years: One year
type. |
|
|
| X#403
50 Tari. Year:
ND (1965). Weight:
16.85g. Metal:
Franklinium.
Diameter:
31.00 mm. Edge:
Reeded. Alignment:
Coin. Mint:
Franklin Mint. Obverse:
"QUADR CENTENNIAL OF THE GREAT SIEGE OF
MALTA"
written around. Battle field in the center with value and dates
1565-1965.
Reverse:
"SOVEREIGN ORDER OF SAINT JOHN OF JERUSALEM" written
around Crowned arms in the center with Roman year MXLVIII (1048 CE).
Mintage:
3,379.
Minted Years: One year
type. |
|
|
| X#404
1 Zecchino. Year:
ND (1965). Weight:
22.50g. Metal:
Copper-Nickel Silvered.
Diameter:
39.00 mm. Edge:
Reeded. Alignment:
Coin. Mint:
Franklin Mint. Obverse:
"QUADR CENTENNIAL OF THE GREAT SIEGE OF
MALTA"
written around.
JEAN DE LA VALETTE G.M
(Grand Master) portrait facing left
in the center
with value and dates 1565-1965.
Reverse:
"SOVEREIGN ORDER OF SAINT JOHN OF JERUSALEM" written
around Crowned arms in the center with Roman year MXLVIII (1048 CE).
Mintage:
3,315.
Minted Years: One year
type. This coin is also
produced in Bronze (3 pieces), Brass (3 pieces), Franklinium (3
pieces), 0.925 silver (3 pieces), 0.999 silver (3 pieces) and
Plantinum (1 piece). |
|
| |
| |
|
HOSPITALLIER ORDER - Fantasy Issues 1999-2005. |
| Currency:
Lira |
| |
|
2005:
Remembering Pope John Paul II (b. 18 May 1920; d. 02 Apr 2005). |
| "Ich habe euch gesucht jetzt seid
ihrzu mir gekommen. Ich danke euch". Papst Johannes Paul II [translation: "I
was looking for you, now you come to me ihrzu. Thank you". Pope John Paul
II]. |
| |
|
|
1 Lira. Year:
2005. Weight:
7.50g. Metal:
Copper-Nickel.
Diameter:
24.25 mm. Edge:
Plain. Alignment:
Medal. Mint:
N/A. Obverse:
"SOVRANO OSPEDALIERO ORDINE DI MALTA"
written at the
top. Crowned arms in the center with dare and value at the bottom.
Reverse:
"IOANNES PAULUS II." around John Paul II facing left.
Mintage:
N/A.
Minted Years: One year
type. |
|
|
1 Lira. Year:
2005. Weight:
7.50g. Metal:
Copper-Nickel.
Diameter:
24.25 mm. Edge:
Plain. Alignment:
Medal. Mint:
N/A. Obverse:
"SOVRANO OSPEDALIERO ORDINE DI MALTA"
written at the
top. Crowned arms in the center with dare and value at the bottom.
Reverse:
"SOLI DEO GLORIA" at the top. John Paul II standing and
facing right.
Mintage:
N/A.
Minted Years: One year
type. Subject:
Gebet an der Klagemauer (prayers at Western Wall). |
|
|
1 Lira. Year:
2005. Weight:
7.50g. Metal:
Copper-Nickel.
Diameter:
24.25 mm. Edge:
Plain. Alignment:
Medal. Mint:
N/A. Obverse:
"SOVRANO OSPEDALIERO ORDINE DI MALTA"
written at the
top. Crowned arms in the center with dare and value at the bottom.
Reverse:
"1978 HABEMUS PAPAM" at the top. Palace with Pope.
Mintage:
N/A.
Minted Years: One year
type. Subject:
Amtsantritt (Appointed). |
|
|
1 Lira. Year:
2005. Weight:
7.50g. Metal:
Copper-Nickel.
Diameter:
24.25 mm. Edge:
Plain. Alignment:
Medal. Mint:
N/A. Obverse:
"SOVRANO OSPEDALIERO ORDINE DI MALTA"
written at the
top. Crowned arms in the center with dare and value at the bottom.
Reverse:
"AD MAIOREM DEL GLORIA" with Pope John Paul II in stairs.
Mintage:
N/A.
Minted Years: One year
type. Subject:
Ankunft des Papstes in Polen (Arrival of Pope in Poland). |
|
|
1 Lira. Year:
2005. Weight:
7.50g. Metal:
Copper-Nickel.
Diameter:
24.25 mm. Edge:
Plain. Alignment:
Medal. Mint:
N/A. Obverse:
"SOVRANO OSPEDALIERO ORDINE DI MALTA"
written at the
top. Crowned arms in the center with dare and value at the bottom.
Reverse:
"EX CATHEDPA PETRI" at the top with SMOM emblem and a
person looking down.
Mintage:
N/A.
Minted Years: One year
type. Subject:
Päpstlich Insignien (Papal Insignia). |
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| Countries
/ Territories |
| |
|
Chiefa Coins | |
|
