4th series - Old Arms - Maltese falcon
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1975
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4th series - Old Arms - Maltese falcon
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The Peregrine Falcon (bies) used to breed freely in Malta. Its association with the Maltese islands is also reflected in the name of several places like Rdum il-Bies and Ras Il-Pellegrin. Falconry, the use of trained falcons to hunt other birds, was an important activity during the Middle Ages. Falcons trapped in Malta were held in high esteem; in fact, when Emperor Frederick II annexed Malta to Sicily in 1239, he sent 18 falconers to report on the number of falcons on the islands and how many had been caught in the wild during that season.
When Emperor Charles V of Spain gave Malta to the Order of St John, the knights were obliged to give him and his successors a live falcon each year. It is recorded that between 1646 and 1789 falcons were sent annually to the kings of France and Naples and the Kingdom of the two Sicilies. The role of the Grand Falconer was to prepare the falcons, to issue hunting licences and to determine the opening and closure of the hunting season. Peregrines became protected by law in 1980.
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Type
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Denomination
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Diameter (mm)
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Gross Weight (g)
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Finesse
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Designer
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Mint
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Mintage
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Gold
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Lm10
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19
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3
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0.916
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Pietro Giampaoli
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Malta Mint
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2,000
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