The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 30, July 29, 2007, Article 34

MALTA'S EURO COINS INCORPORATE MALTESE CROSS DESIGN MOTIF

The Malta Independent published an article on Monday headlined "Wily
Malta leaves unique mark on euro coins."  Here are some excerpts:

"As Malta's first euro coins rolled off the production lines on
Friday – with images of the Maltese cross, Malta's coat of arms
and the Mnajdra Temple gracing their obverse sides – one minute
and barely discernable detail of Malta's EUR2 coin spoke volumes.

"The outside edge around the circumference of the EUR2 coins, 10
million of which are being produced at the Monnaie De Paris, bears
small images of the Maltese cross instead of euro stars. Under the
strict European Central Bank coin design rules, euro coins have
one common face while only the design of the obverse side of the
coins minted by individual countries is at the individual
countries' discretion.

"Wily Malta, however, found another way to leave Malta's unique
stamp on Europe's coinage, by replacing the euro stars on the
coins' outside edge with a succession of Maltese crosses – the
only country to have deviated from the norms in this respect.

"The otherwise discerning ECB specifications had only stipulated
that stars could be placed on the outside edge, without furnishing
the exact specifications of the stars themselves."

To read the complete article, see:
Full Story

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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