On 11 November MaltaPost, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Malta, issued a philatelic numismatic cover consisting of a brass coin and a postage stamp to mark the centenary of the Armistice which brought the First World War to an end.

On 11 November 1918 the allies and Germany signed an armistice which brought an end to the First World War. The war claimed the lives of more than 16 million persons and had a profound impact on the course of world history.

The brass coins, which were designed by Noel Galea Bason, were struck in circulation quality at the Royal Belgian Mint. The coin reverse features a nurse administering medication to a wounded soldier. This recalls the major humanitarian role played by Malta, called the Nurse of the Mediterranean, during the WWI.

The figure of a soldier and a poppy are evocative symbols of remembrance and pay tribute to the many servicemen, including some 600 Maltese, who fell during the conflict. During the war Malta had 27 hospitals and convalescent camps and more than 130,000 casualties were treated in Malta. The obverse shows the emblem of Malta.

The postage stamp depicts the hospital ship Rewa in the Grand Harbour. This ship was sunk by a German submarine on 4 January 1918 while on transit from Malta to Britain. The coin and the stamp will be presented together in a purposely designed postal cover which will bear a special cancellation of the first day of issue.

This product is limited to 2,500 covers. It may be purchased from the MaltaPost branch at Castille Place, Valletta. Covers may also be purchased online from the Malta Coin Centre e-shop on www.maltacoincentre.com and the MaltaPost website. The price of each cover is €10 inclusive of VAT.

For further information, the public is kindly requested to contact the Malta Coin Centre via email on [email protected], by calling on (+356) 2550 6006/7/8 or by contacting MaltaPost.