Melita bullion coins

The Melita bullion coins are a series of gold bullion coins issued by the Central Bank of Malta in collaboration with Lombard Bank since 2018. They exist in three different euro denominations and are legal tender in Malta. The coins depict the national personification Melita, and their design is based on Edward Caruana Dingli's Melita issue postage and revenue stamps of 1922–26.

Melita bullion coins
Malta
Value€25, €50 and €100 (face value)
Mass€25: 7.77 g (0.250 ozt)
€50: 15.55 g (0.500 ozt)
€100: 31.10 g (1.000 ozt)
Diameter€25: 22 mm (0.87 in)
€50: 27 mm (1.1 in)
€100: 34 mm (1.3 in)
Thickness€25: 1.06 mm (0.042 in)
€50: 1.40 mm (0.055 in)
€100: 1.78 mm (0.070 in)
EdgeMilled
Composition99.9% Au
Years of minting2018 (2018)–present
Obverse
DesignCoat of arms of Malta
Design date2018
Reverse
DesignMelita
Design date2018

Design

On the reverse, the coins depict Melita, the national personification of Malta. The design is based on the Melita issue postage and revenue stamps of 1922–26, which were designed by the artist Edward Caruana Dingli.[1][2] The stamps had been designed to commemorate the Malta's new status as a self-governing colony following a new constitution in 1921, and Melita is depicted as a robed helmeted figure holding a rudder, representing Malta as being in control of her own destiny.[1]

On the obverse, the coins depict the coat of arms of Malta.[1]

Production and release

The Melita bullion coins exist in the denominations of €25, €50 and €100, and they are legal tender in Malta. Each denomination has different dimensions and weight. The coins are issued by the Central Bank of Malta in collaboration with Lombard Bank, and they are minted by PAMP S.A. in Switzerland. Their composition makes them some of the purest gold bullion coins available in the world.[1]

The coins were issued on 29[3] or 30[1] November 2018. They are intended both for investors and for coin collectors, and they are sold according to the international gold price.[4] They are issued in sealed cards, and each coin has a unique profile which allows it to be authenticated using PAMP S.A.'s security system. The initial issue of 2018 was limited,[5] and later coins were minted according to demand, so the number struck each year varies.[1]

Mintage figures
Year €25 €50 €100 Notes and references
2018UndisclosedUndisclosedUndisclosedMaximum mintage not disclosed.[5] Cased set of three coins limited to 100 sets.[3]
2019n/an/a400[6]
2020n/an/a300[7]

References
  1. "Melita bullion coins 2018". Central Bank of Malta. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019.
  2. "Melita Issue of Malta Stamps: 1922–26". British Empire Philately. Archived from the original on 16 March 2017.
  3. "Melita Bullion Coins 2018". Lombard Bank. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020.
  4. Dimech, Tony (30 November 2018). "Central Bank and Lombard Bank issue three gold coins". TVM. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020.
  5. Alexander, Michael (30 November 2018). "Malta: New gold bullion range of coins launched depicting figure of Melita". Coin Update. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020.
  6. "Melita Bullion Coin 2019". Lombard Bank. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020.
  7. "2020 MALTA numismatic program". Numismag. 9 October 2020. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020.
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