Be the first to comment!CBM issues new coin to mark Armed Forces of Malta anniversary
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The Central Bank of Malta has issued a new coin to mark the 50th anniversary of the Armed Forces of Malta.
The Malta Armed Forces Act, which came into force on the 22nd of September 1970, made provision “for the raising and maintenance of armed forces in Malta and to provide for matters connected therewith or ancillary thereto.” With this instrument, Malta could set up its own standing armed forces.
On the 1st of October 1970, 500 Maltese officers and men of the Royal Malta Artillery, an old and distinguished regiment, ceased forming part of the British Army and became part of the Malta Land Force, which some time later was designated as the Armed Forces of Malta.
The Central Bank of Malta is marking this important milestone in Malta’s post-colonial development with the issue of a silver, and a cupro-nickel coin.
The silver coin, which has a face value of €10, has a diameter of 38.61mm and is struck in 0.925 silver. The cupro-nickel coins are of a similar size but have a face value of €5.
The coin design was made in collaboration between the Central Bank of Malta and the Armed Forces of Malta. The coins were manufactured by the Royal Dutch Mint.
On the reverse, the coins feature the regimental badge of the Armed Forces of Malta on a red-on-blue coloured background. On the obverse is the coat of arms of the Republic of Malta together with the year of issue.
The Bank said that the silver coins will be limited to 2,000 pieces whereas the cupro-nickel coins will have a minting limit of 10,000.
Mr Alexander Demarco, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Malta, officially launched the coins during an event organised by the Armed Forces of Malta at the Luqa Barracks, on Friday
The coins will be available for sale to the public from January 2021 and the relevant details will be communicated in due course.
For further information, the public is kindly requested to contact the Malta Coin Centre via email on mcc@centralbankmalta.org or by calling on (+356) 2550 6006/7.
Group photo – From left to right: Joseph Esposito – CBM; Colonel Mark Mallia – Deputy Commander, AFM; Brigadier Jeffrey Curmi – Commander, AFM; Minister for Home Affairs, National Security and Law Enforcement Byron Camilleri; Sandro Demarco – Deputy Governor, CBM; Jesmond Gatt – Chief Officer, CBM; and Melvin Bugeja – CBM
