On 20 March the Central Bank of Malta issued numismatic coins in gold and silver depicting The Baptism of Christ, a statuary group by Giuseppe Mazzuoli (1644-1725). The coins are issued under the Europa Programme with the theme Baroque and Rococo and bear the Europa Star logo.

The gold coin has a face value of €50, while the silver coin has a face value of €10. These coins are legal tender in Malta only. The €10 coin, which is limited to 2,500 pieces, is struck in silver (0.925 fine). It has a weight of 28.28g and a diameter of 38.61mm. The €50 coin is struck in gold (0.916 fine), weighs 6.5g and has a diameter of 21mm. The minting is limited to 500 pieces.

The coins are struck to proof quality. They were designed and engraved by Noel Galea Bason and were struck at the Royal Dutch Mint. The reverse of the coins depicts the Baptism of Christ, a monumental white marble sculpture executed in Rome by Giuseppe Mazzuoli and installed in the apse of St John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta in 1703.

The obverse of the coin features the coat-of-arms of Malta and the Europa Star logo. This year's coins will be part of a five-year series dedicated to different periods of European art-forms and history, which have been widely grouped as Modern 20th century (2016), The Age of iron and glass (2017), Baroque and Rococo (2018), Renaissance (2019) and Gothic (2020).

The coins may be purchased directly from the Malta Coin Centre's online e-shop facility on www.maltacoincentre.com or from the main building of the bank. The gold coin will be sold for €340 and the silver coin for €60.

For more information the public is kindly requested to contact the Malta Coin Centre by e-mail or by calling on (+356) 2550 6006/7.