W. C a r e w H a z l i t t Coinage of the European Continent

462 The Coins of Europe
D'Ambusson (1476-1 503), and Emery D'Amboise (1503-
I
2) added the double zecchino and the silver variety with
the paschal lamb and flag, together with the earliest copper
denari. It was during the rule of Philippe de Villiers de
1'Isle Adam (1521-34) that the seat of government was
transferred to Malta ;
and this master was the first whose
portrait was placed on the currency, and moreover on a
sequin (or zecchino) of a novel type and on a faro, a new
silver denomination which, with its multiples, continued in
use down to the close. On the other hand, the Rhodian
gigliato and aspro did not survive the removal westward.
The cinquina, the carlino, and the grano, followed the new
sequin and the taro at intervals, the two former in silver, the
last the copper unit, and all . borrowed, like the gigliato
itself, from Sicilian types. Some of the masters struck
pieces of 2, 4, 10, 12, and 20 gold sequins, and several of
the later scudi and mezzo-scudi of 30 and I 5 tari, usually
with a portrait. The sumptuous and well - executed gold
money of the eighteenth century is of heavy fabric, and is
still of common occurrence. 1
In forming a selection for the cabinet, some of the earlier
gigliati and aspri are desirable. The zecchini are, as a rule,
extremely common even in unworn condition, but are almost
invariably ill struck. 2 On the other hand, the silver and
copper pieces seldom occur in good preservation, and many
are absolutely of great rarity. Furse values some of the
gigliati and aspri at from 2000 to 200 frs. Even 3 and 4
tari pieces of 1680 are estimated at 200 frs.; they belong
to the time of Gregorio CarafFa (1680-90), who was under
such fortuitous circumstances transferred from a prison to a
throne. Probably the figures furnished by Furse might be
exceeded in some cases, as the foreign standard of condition
is lower than the English certainly than the present
1
A few years ago the Government of Malta sent over to England a hoard
of these handsome coins, which were sold at Sotheby's Rooms, but fetched only
the value of the metal.
-
Finds of these sequins are occasionally reported. A considerable number
were sold in London within a short period. They were, for the most part, of
masters who are plentifully represented.