Comments on "Malta's first decimal coinage of 1972"

[bagerap]

I love these too, and always felt that the dolphins were laughing.
Bob

[<k>]

Yes, I always smile when I look at them.

[izotz]

I would say that those denominations where available still in the last sets before the euro. At least I have those in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Edit : You can find the cross of Malta in 2 mils , 2005 set, and the bee in 3 mils, 2006 set.

[<k>]

I'm surprised that the mils coins were included, or that they circulated together, because the coin designs were changed in 1986.

Here are the coins of my 1986 proof set:

1  cent.   Weasel.
2  cents.  Olive branch.
5  cents.  Fresh water crab.
10 cents.  Dolphin fish.
25 cents.  The Ghirlanda plant.
50 cents.  The Tulliera plant.
1  lira.   The Merill (blue rock thrush), Malta's national bird.

And here are the coins of my 1972 proof set:

2  mils.   Maltese Cross.
3  mils.   Bee and honey comb.
5  mils.   Earthen lampstand.
1  cent.   George Cross.
2  cents.  Penthesilea, Queen of the Amazons.
5  cents.  Floral altar in the Temple of Hagar Qim.
10 cents.  Barge of the Grand Master.
50 cents.  Great Siege Monument, portraying three deities.

So if the mils coins were still issued after 1986, I'm surprised that the Maltese didn't change THEIR designs too. Or maybe they were planning to phase them out, originally?

Anyway, the new designs after 1986 were also attractive ones. I particularly liked the weasel and the crab.

[Figleaf]

The denomination mil is not as unusual as all that. There are quite a few Arab states that used a pound of 1000 mils at some time. This is likely to be the source of inspiration for the Maltese mil. In addition, the mil was a US denomination. Just not on coins.

Peter

[izotz]

I don't really know whether they actually circulated. I suppose they were only issued for sets in the last pre-euro years. In fact, I am having a look at World Coins catalog, and it says it is "in sets only". The error I found in the book is that it says that there is a 2 mils coin in 2005, 2006 and 2007 set, although I show here that you have :
2005 -> 2 mils
2006 -> 3 mils
2007 -> 5 mils

[translateltd]

The denomination mil is not as unusual as all that. There are quite a few Arab states that used a pound of 1000 mils at some time. This is likely to be the source of inspiration for the Maltese mil. In addition, the mil was a US denomination. Just not on coins.

Peter

I think the point relates more to the timing of the issue, and the changeover of the designs on the cent-denominated coins.

[<k>]

In 1986 Malta issued a new series of coins with changed specifications.

It also had new reverse designs and a new obverse design.

[Spyke63]

I have recently updated Christopher Ironside's work on Wikipedia including the Malta coins.  Your information adds to my research.  Thank you.

[<k>]

Yes, I've had a look at your Wikipedia page. I only wish something as informative as that had been available earlier. Designers have been neglected, but it's always fascinating to see the scope of their portfolio. Mr Ironside was an excellent modeller too - just look at the detail on that first Maltese set.

[Spyke63]

..there is a story in there.  Christopher did take the Royal Mint to the High Court over copyright issues saying that designers should both be recognised and get paid royalties if their designs were used by the client for purposes other than the initial commission.

[<k>]

According to my notes from the National Archives, the original 1970s designs were all ascribed to Envin Cremona, except for the 3 mils (honeybee), 5 mils (earthen lampstand), and the 2 cents (Penthesilea, Queen of the Amazons), which were credited to Mr Ironside, who modelled all the designs. The 25 cents didn't appear until 1975, and I have no data on that. (There is a backlog of documents that should have arrived at the National Archives but still hasn't). Does this data square with your own researches, Spyke63? And do you know whether Mr Ironside also designed the 1975 25 cents?

[translateltd]

There was indeed a Maltese pound, another name for which was the lira.  Just like Lebanese pounds still exist, but are known as livres locally, at least to those speaking French ...

[chrisild]

There was indeed a Maltese pound, another name for which was the lira.  Just like Lebanese pounds still exist, but are known as livres locally, at least to those speaking French ...

Basically I agree - what is a pound in English is a livre in French, a lira in Italian, etc. However, if you look at the Maltese coins, you will see that the £ symbol was actually replaced by Lm. Now you may say that "pound/pounds" is English and "lira/liri" is Maltese. But the central bank specifically states that the pound "was renamed Maltese lira (Lm) in 1983" ...

Christian

[bagerap]

I'm reminded that in parts of rural France un livre is half a kilo, or 1.1lb. The pound/livre duality continues.