The Philatelic Bureau of MaltaPost issued a miniature sheet to commemorate the last decimal Lm coinage in use in the Maltese Islands, with a stamp issue on 31 December, the final stamp issue for 2007.

The stamp on the last decimal Lm coinage issue has a face value of €2.33 / Lm1

The last decimal Lm coinage stamp depicts the two sides of the Lm1 coin, showing Malta’s national bird, the Blue Rock Thrush, Il-Merill, and Malta’s coat-of-arms, which is also reproduced in colour on the stamp. The surround on the miniature sheet shows a selection of Maltese decimal coins.

In May 1972, the Malta currency system reverted to decimal. The Malta pound was divided into 100 cents, and each cent was divided into 10 mils. Eight distinctive coins in base metal were issued. In November of the same year, the first series of the Numismatic Gold and Silver Sets were issued. These coins and those of subsequent issues are legal tender. On 13 December 1974 a new Constitution was approved in Parliament and Malta was proclaimed a Republic within the Commonwealth. Following this event, a new emblem was adopted.

In 1986 Malta issued its second decimal set of coins depicting Maltese flora and fauna and the emblem of the Republic of Malta on the back. In 1991 a new version of these coins with Malta’s new coat of arms on the obverse was issued.

The miniature sheet is available from the Philatelic Bureau of MaltaPost (telephone 2596 1747, e-mail [email protected], postal address 305 Qormi Road, Marsa MTP 1001), from all MaltaPost postal retail outlets in Malta and Gozo, and from the Mobile Unit.