On 27 June, the Central Bank of Malta issued a €2 commemorative coin depicting the Ħaġar Qim temples.

The coin reverse shows the common €2 side while the obverse (national side) shows a representation of the Ħaġar Qim temples. The coin obverse was designed by Noel Galea Bason.

The Ħaġar Qim Temples in Qrendi have some of the largest stone megaliths used in the construction of the prehistoric temples on the Maltese islands. The site dates to 3,600-3,200 BC and is one of the oldest free-standing monuments in the world. Ħaġar Qim is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

This coin, which follows on the one depicting the Ġgantija temples, continues the series of seven that are being issued by the bank to depict Malta's prehistoric monuments that are listed by Unesco as World Heritage Sites.

These commemorative coins will be produced in circulation quality and shall be available in rolls of 25 coins each as well as individually in coin cards. The coins in the cards, of which only 30,000 will be made, will bear a mint-mark of the Monnaie de Paris, where the coins were minted. The cost of a roll of 25 coins is €70, while that of a coin card is €7.

The coins may be purchased directly from the Malta Coin Centre's online eShop facility, which can be accessed through the bank's website www.centralbankmalta.org. For further information, the public is kindly requested to contact the Malta Coin Centre via email on [email protected] or by phoning on (+356) 2550 6006/7.