On 15 September the Central Bank of Malta will issue a silver coin commemorating the 50th anniversary of Independence. The coin has a face value of €10.

The coin was minted at the Royal Dutch Mint. It is struck in 0.925 silver and has a weight of 28.28 grams and a diameter of 38.61 mm. The coin is of proof quality and the mintage is limited to 5,000 coins. The coin was designed and engraved by Noel Galea Bason.

The reverse of the coin features the first Prime Minister of Independent Malta, Dr George Borg Olivier, waving the Independence Instruments which were presented to him by the Duke of Edinburgh at a public ceremony held in Floriana on 21 September 1964, the first day of Malta’s independence from Britain.

The obverse of the coin shows the emblem of the Università of Mdina which was an administrative council set up in that town in medieval times. It was a form of autonomous government which was granted to the Maltese by the Viceroy of Sicily in the 15th century. The white and red emblem, which is reproduced on the coin in colour, represents the historic roots of Malta’s national identity.

The coins may be purchased from the Malta Coins Distribution Centre at the main building of the Central Bank of Malta in Valletta, or by completing the order form which can be downloaded from the Bank’s website.

For more information, the public is kindly requested to contact the Bank’s Malta Coins Distribution Centre by email on [email protected] or by calling +356 2550 6006/7/8.