The Maltese government just started a vote on the future euro coin designs (see http://www.coinpeople.com/index.php?showtopic=6539 ). In the next two weeks (14-29 Jan) people can vote for their preferred themes. The actual national sides of the coins will be designed later.

http://mfin.gov.mt/image.aspx?site=NECC&re...%20Euro%20Coins
Vote Overview (PDF)

http://mfin.gov.mt/image.aspx?site=NECC&re...Coins%20Details
Background info on the themes (PDF)

Added incentive: By casting a vote one can also win a flight or a phone.

Christian

Edit: Subject adapted; the "final round" (see post #8 below) has started.

The contest is over; almost 17,000 people voted. And these are the three winning design themes:

(1) The sculpture "Baptism of Christ" - 3498 votes
(2) The Maltese Coat of Arms (which is on the current coins) - 2742 votes
(3) The prehistoric Mnajdra Temple Altar - 1872 votes

Press release in English (PDF):
http://mfin.gov.mt/image.aspx?site=NECC&re...%20Release%20EN

Christian

Not really going to matter anyway, these coins will all be enclosed in sets and sold at outrageous prices to collectors all over the EU.

That's OK, those designs sound kind of lame. Just copies of existing things.

Don't think so. First, Malta won't join the currency union very soon - in my opinion, 2008 is a very optimistic date. So by that time, some collectors may have lost interest. Also, while Malta is the smallest EU member state, it is about as big (in terms of population) as Luxembourg. The circulation coins from LU are pretty easily available and actually circulate.

Christian

The current coin series features a bird, an evergreen plant, another plant, a fish, a crab, an olive tree branch, and a weasel; and the CoA on the other side. Guess they did not find that terribly exciting any more. What I find a little disappointing from a collector's point of view is that for the Maltese euro/cent coins there will be three different designs only. Oh well, could have been worse ...

Christian

And the new designs might be pretty. But for new coins, I;m heavily biased towards original designs. If you're going to rehash an old design I might as well buy the original I like the recent VanGogh and Einstein coins.

Update - Now we have some actual designs, based on the "themes" that won the contest earlier this year. Below is the text from the Maltese government's website; I added the numbers in red to show which description refers to which design in the image.



"Three of the designs - the Statute of the Baptism of Christ (1102), Malta's Coat of Arms (1101) and the Mnajdra Temple Altar (1103) - were chosen from the twelve themes presented to the public. The fourth design, that of the Maltese eight-pointed Cross (1104), was also considered after it received the highest number of votes from the public as an alternative to the 12 themes presented in the consultation process." http://mfin.gov.mt/page.aspx?site=NECC&pag...inconsultation2

(Note that the coin designs show the year 2008 but that is not necessarily when Malta joins the European Currency Union.) Between 29 May and 9 June, people in Malta can vote for their favorite designs. The three designs with the most votes will then be picked for the euro and cent coins.

Christian

I like them. While 1104 is my favorite, I think that each is nice and would make a good coin.

Don't have any objections either to any of the designs. But I find it difficult to vote on a design regardless of the denomination. For example, the Baptism sculpture would look nice on the "golden" coins (10/20/50 ct) but is a little too detailed IMO for the "copper" pieces (1/2/5 ct). So for the latter I would prefer the Maltese Cross with the "extended rays".

Well, in a few (?) days we will know which design did not make it ...

Christian

Hmmm, I like them

My preferences go to 1101, 1102 and 1104.

I'd suggest to put

1101 on the 2 and 1 euro,
1102 on the 50, 20 and 10 cent
1104 on the 5, 2 and 1 cent

The vote is over, and these are the winning designs:

1 - the Maltese Cross (15,600 votes)
2 - Malta's coat of arms (11,300 votes)
3 - the Mnajdra Temple (8,900 votes)

http://www.maltamedia.com/news/2005/eu/article_10304.shtml

One of the three designs will be used for the "copper" coins (1, 2, 5 ct), another one for the "Nordic Gold" pieces (10, 20, 50 ct), and one will be on the bimetallic (1 and 2 €) coins. The decision what design should be on which pieces will be made later.

Christian

I'd like to see this bird on the coin.

News from Malta ...

• The temple altar will be on the "copper" coins (1, 2, 5 cent), the emblem of Malta will be on the "Nordic Gold" pieces (10, 20, 50 ct), and the Maltese Cross will be on the €1 and €2 coins.

• The Maltese euro coins will be minted by the Monnaie de Paris.

http://www.centralbankmalta.com/site/pr1main.asp?ItemId=453

Christian

I think they are great! Can't wait for the first probes to see them!

The Maltese government's website now has some new images of what the euro coins will look like:

http://mfin.gov.mt/page.aspx?site=NECC&page=maltesecoins

Christian

Christian,those are very nice designs that will be on the Maltese Euro coins.I will be getting them once Malta joins the Euro-Zone,as Malta is a British Commonwealth country.

It is strange that the Maltese Euro coins are going to be struck at the French Mint.I thought that the Maltese Mint in Valletta were going to strike the coins.I wonder if Malta will issue coins denominated 5 Euros & up in the same way that 2 & 5 Pounds coins are currently issued.

Aidan.

As for which mint will make the coins, that could well be a question of capacity and/or equipment. Maybe it is less expensive to have them minted in Pessac/FR and then shipped to Malta, instead of having to invest in new "hardware" in Valletta?

Recent Maltese coins have been made at different mints anyway. This year, for example, Malta contributed to the Europa program (with the euro-star logo) by issuing a Lm5 commem that honors Sir Temistokle Zammit. That one was minted in Utrecht/NL. On other occasions, the proof version of some commem was made in the UK (Royal Mint) while the BU version was minted in Malta.

And that probably answers the question of future Maltese euro collector coins too: Slovenia for example, which joins in a few days, will issue euro collector coins from now on. So I suppose the same will happen in Malta as from 2008 (provided they join the currency union at that time). The only odd thing about such issues is, they are legal tender in the issuing country only - contrary to the circulation coins and the €2 commemorative pieces which are legal tender anywhere in Euroland ...

Christian

Christian,I have seen the Proof 5 Pounds depicting Sir Temi Zammit on the Central Bank of Malta's website.It is a very nicely designed medal-coin.It is actually the second time that he has been commemorated on a coin.The first time around was on the Maltese 1973 silver 1 Pound coin,which I don't yet have.

I wonder where the French Mint will place its privy marks on the Maltese Euro coins.Malta will be only the second British Commonwealth country to have had coins struck at the French Mint.The first British Commonwealth country to get coins struck in France was the Anglo-French Condominium of the New Hebrides (1966 to 1979,plus the 1982 provisional coinage issued after Vanuatu's independence (1980)).

There are 4 mints in the British Isles that could have been as capable to strike the Maltese Euro coins.Apart from the Royal Mint,Llantrisant,there is the Birmingham Mint (also known as Heaton's),the Pobjoy Mint,&,of course,the Irish Mint located in the Central Bank of Ireland's Currency Centre at Sandyford,Dublin.

The Irish Mint & the Maltese Mint are 2 mints that do not have a high profile like the Royal Mint does,nor do they have websites.They are mentioned on the websites of the respective Central Banks.I don't think they will let you go on a tour like you can at the Royal Canadian Mint's 2 branches.

It would be neat seeing Maltese or Irish coins being struck.

Aidan.

Guess we will soon know. The Central Bank of Malta and the Monnaie de Paris signed a contract yesterday which also covers the production of test coins next month. http://www.centralbankmalta.com/site/pr1main.asp?ItemID=467

The decision of the EU, about whether Malta can introduce the euro in 2008 or not, will follow later this year. But I guess it cannot hurt to have a couple of test pieces made before that ...

Christian

Christian,the Maltese test Euro coins (really pattern coins) will be of interest to British Commonwealth numismatists,that is,if they are being released to the numismatic community.

If you do get any of the Maltese test Euro coins,you will have to let us know.I would like to get some.

Aidan.

Those "test" coins are mentioned in Malta's latest euro changeover plan too, but that publication does not provide any details. Guess that, if the results are satisfactory, they will simply be issued like the others. If not, they are likely to be melted down.

As for the schedule, assuming that Malta can introduce the euro on 1 January 2008, frontloading begins in late November. Some more info from the Malta Changeover Plan (see http://euro.gov.mt) - quoted text in italics:

* As of 17th December 2007, euro coin starter kits will be available to both the general public and larger ones for businesses. (...) These will be available from the banks and other institutions (e.g. post offices).

* It is estimated that the Bank will order some 80 million euro notes and 200 million euro coins to meet changeover needs. (...) The euro banknotes launch requirements will be borrowed from existing Eurosystem stocks through a euro area National Central Bank. (...) It is estimated that the required number of coins will be struck within three months and be available for frontloading by late November / early December 2007.

* The Central Bank of Malta has ordered 330,000 starter kits for the general public with a value of €11.65 each, equivalent to Lm5.00, and 33,000 starter kits for retailers with a value of €131, equivalent to Lm56.24. The kits will contain the following number of coins:
Starter kits for the general public – €11.65 in loose coin
€2 x 2 coins, €1 x 3 coins, €0.50 x 5 coins, €0.20 x 6 coins, €0.10 x 6 coins, €0.05 x 5 coins, € 0.02 x 3 coins, € 0.01 x 4 coins

In less than three weeks from now, on 16 May, the European Central Bank and the European Commission will present their convergence reports about Cyprus and Malta. Then we'll know more ...

Christian

Today http://www.euronumis.com/ published some photos of actual Cyprus and Malta euro coins. This is the Malta €2 piece:



Christian