26/02/2016 19:00:00

Symposium and Launch of Coin Programme 2016

The Central Bank of Malta is launching its Numismatic Coin Programme for 2016 which includes the following products:

• A gold and silver numismatic coin issued under the Europa Star Programme. The theme this year will be 20^th century art and will depict 'Dangerous Sport', a 1937 sculpture by Antonio Sciortino.
• A silver numismatic coin commemorating the 450^th anniversary of the foundation of the city of Valletta in 1566.
• A euro coin set dated 2016 consisting of the eight Maltese euro circulation coins and a €2 commemorative coin, which depicts the Ġgantija temples. The commemorative €2 coin will have a special mint mark.
• A €2 commemorative coin depicting the Ġgantija megalithic temples in Gozo. This will be the first in a series of seven coins that will be dedicated to Malta's prehistoric temples. The coins will be issued in rolls of 25 coins each as well as individually in coin cards with the latter having a mint mark.
• A gold numismatic coin depicting the copper 4 tari coin which was known as 'patakka'. These coins were issued by the Order of St John and continued to circulate in Malta until the early British period. This will be issued under the "Smallest Gold Coin Programme".
• A €2 commemorative coin which will feature the winning design of a schoolchildren competition having the theme of 'Solidarity through Love'. The competition will be open from Monday 29 February till Friday 11 March. The coins will be issued in rolls of 25 coins each as well as individually in coin cards, with the latter having a mint mark. The proceeds from the sale of the coin cards will be donated to the Malta Community Chest Fund.

In conjunction with the launching of its 2016 coin programme the Bank hosted a symposium, entitled 'From Prehistory to Modernity' on 26 February 2016, chaired by Professor Henry Frendo, in which a panel of speakers, experts in their respective fields, discussed aspects of the various themes of the coin programme. The Governor of the Central Bank of Malta, Professor Josef Bonnici, concluded the event by reflecting on the resilience of the Maltese economy and culture throughout history and the ways to develop its future growth potential. He also noted that in today's dynamic economic landscape, the robustness of the islands' economy can be retained by diversifying the exports of goods and services through the expansion of existing activities and the identification of new service sectors and markets.

In conjunction with the launch of the coin programme, the Central Bank of Malta will also be introducing an e-shop facility, by means of which collectors and other interested persons may purchase coins and other products online. The e-shop may be accessed here.

For more information, the public is kindly requested to either contact the Bank's Malta Coins Distribution Centre by email or by calling (+356) 2550 6006/7/8.

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