1456) 25th Anniversary of Malta's Independence (1964-1989), Malta: A Commemorative Banknote of Lm2 (Two Lira) issued by the Central Bank of Malta: Year of issue: 1989:
As a result of their geographical location, the Maltese Islands have been governed by various civilisations - the Carthaginians, Romans, Spanish, Neopolitans and lastly, the British.
About the under-pictured Lm2 Banknote (2 Lira Maltese Banknote):
In 09/1989, the Central Bank of Malta issued the fifth Series of Banknotes, coinciding with the 25th Anniversary of Malta's Independence. The denominations of Lm2, Lm5, Lm10 and Lm20 were similar in size to the fourth series.
The Front of the Lm2 Maltese Lira Banknote
The Front of each Banknote depicted the allegorical figure of Malta, as well as, the Emblem of the United Nations and doves - reflecting Malta's commitment to international peace.
The Banknotes also contained the armorial bearings of the Central Bank of Malta, going away from the concept of Malta's emblem, which had been changed again in 1988.
The inscriptions read -"BANK CENTRALI TA' MALTA", ZEWG LIRI (meaning "Two Lira") and "Lm2".
As a result of their geographical location, the Maltese Islands have been governed by various civilisations - the Carthaginians, Romans, Spanish, Neopolitans and lastly, the British.
About the under-pictured Lm2 Banknote (2 Lira Maltese Banknote):
In 09/1989, the Central Bank of Malta issued the fifth Series of Banknotes, coinciding with the 25th Anniversary of Malta's Independence. The denominations of Lm2, Lm5, Lm10 and Lm20 were similar in size to the fourth series.
The Front of the Lm2 Maltese Lira Banknote
The Front of each Banknote depicted the allegorical figure of Malta, as well as, the Emblem of the United Nations and doves - reflecting Malta's commitment to international peace.
The Banknotes also contained the armorial bearings of the Central Bank of Malta, going away from the concept of Malta's emblem, which had been changed again in 1988.
The inscriptions read -"BANK CENTRALI TA' MALTA", ZEWG LIRI (meaning "Two Lira") and "Lm2".
Also seen in the design are two doves representing Malta's commitment to World peace.
The inscriptions read - 'BANK CENTRALI TA' MALTA", ZEWG LIRI (meaning "Two Lira") and "Lm2".
A brief history of the evolution of Malta's Banknotes:
1914-1915: Temporary Paper Currency: Ordinance No. VIII of 1914:
In 08/1914, the outbreak of the First World War led to hoarding of silver coinage and the withdrawal of money from banks.
Ordinance No. VIII of 1914 authorised the issuance of emergency paper money for the first time in Malta, as a run on banks was feared, which was printed to make good for shortage in coinage until an adequate supply of money could be reached in Malta from the UK.
Paper Currency Ordinance 1939:
In 1939, at the outbreak of World War II, once again there was great concern about the hoarding of silver coins and lack of coins in circulation.
The Paper Currency Ordinance 1939 authorised the issue of 1 Pound, 10s, 5s, 2s.6d, and 2s.
In 05/1940, the German radio announced that England had withdrawn the Pound Sterling from Malta and replaced it with a Malta Pound now backed by a metal reserve, which the British government countered by guaranteeing the full value in Sterling of the Maltese Banknotes.
Between 1940 and 1943, Banknotes were imported from the UK with the signatures of the Malta Government Treasurers on them being first stamped on small hand-fed Platen and Wharfdale machines at the Government Printing Office in Valetta before being issued and later at other locations in Malta.
Permanent Paper Currency: Currency Notes Ordinance, 1949:
The 1949 Currency Notes Ordinance was passed to "stamp" a permanent existence on the issue of Maltese Currency Notes, which had always been a temporary measure to make up for the scarcity of coinage.
In 1951, the 1 Pound, and 10s denomination Banknotes were issued bearing the portrait of King George VI and a reproduction of the George Cross.
The 1 Pound Banknote was brown and the 10s Banknote was green.
In 1954, the 1 Pound, and 10s denominations were re-issued with the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II to mark her visit to Malta.
The Banknotes were printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co Ltd., as were the 1951 Banknotes.
In 1961, 5 Pound Banknotes were issued to facilitate economic activity.
In 1963, new editions of the 1 Pound, and 10s Banknotes were issued, all forming part of the "Pictorial Series" bearing the portrait by Pietro Annigoni of Queen Elizabeth II.
The 1961 and 1963 Banknotes were printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. Ltd.
The 1949 Currency Notes Ordinance was passed to "stamp" a permanent existence on the issue of Maltese Currency Notes, which had always been a temporary measure to make up for the scarcity of coinage.
In 1951, the 1 Pound, and 10s denomination Banknotes were issued bearing the portrait of King George VI and a reproduction of the George Cross.
The 1 Pound Banknote was brown and the 10s Banknote was green.
In 1954, the 1 Pound, and 10s denominations were re-issued with the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II to mark her visit to Malta.
The Banknotes were printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co Ltd., as were the 1951 Banknotes.
In 1961, 5 Pound Banknotes were issued to facilitate economic activity.
In 1963, new editions of the 1 Pound, and 10s Banknotes were issued, all forming part of the "Pictorial Series" bearing the portrait by Pietro Annigoni of Queen Elizabeth II.
The 1961 and 1963 Banknotes were printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. Ltd.
Central Bank of Malta: First Series of Banknotes (1964-1969):
In 1964, after gaining Independence from Britain, the Maltese Government established the Central Bank of Malta in 1967, which started operations in 1968 and was responsible, inter alia, for the issue and control of Currency Notes and Coins.
At this time, Malta's paper currency consisted of three different 1 Pound, and 10s Banknotes. Malta decided to print its own Banknotes.
In 1968, the Central Bank of Malta issued 1 and 5 Pound Banknotes, both denominations printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. Ltd.
The Banknotes had the same design as the 1961 and 1963 Banknotes, but the colour was changed from blue to dark brown for the 5 Pound Banknote and from green to red for the 10s Banknote.
In 1969, when the old Banknotes had been depleted, the Bank issued its first 1 Pound Banknote in olive green, but retained the same design as the previous Banknote of 1963.
In 12/1969, all previous Banknotes printed by the Currency Board in 1951, 1961 and 1963 ceased to be legal tender in Malta.
Central Bank of Malta: Second Series of Banknotes: (1973-1975):
In 1972, the introduction of the new decimal coinage spurred the Central Bank of Malta to implement uniformity in Banknote circulation. The Lira was the currency of Malta from 1972 to 31.12.2007.
Currency Notes of 1s, 2s, 2s6d and 5s issued in the early 1940s to make up for the lack of coinage because of transportation problems during World War II, were demonetised by 12/1971. The 10s Banknotes issued by the Bank in 1968 also ceased to be legal tender in 06/1972.
On 15.01.1973, the Central Bank of Malta issued its Second Series of Banknotes printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd.
The new Banknotes included Lm1 (green colour), Lm5 (blue colour) and Lm10 (dark and light brown colour).
The 10s Banknote was replaced by a 50c coin during the same period.
The new Banknotes had enhanced security features, including a vertically running security thread and a phosphorous mark in the form of an eight-pointed cross. The Banknotes also contained a watermark showing an allegorical Head of Malta, designed by the Maltese artist Emvin Cremona.
These Banknotes always bore a series of combinations of signatures of top persons at the Central Bank, however in 1975, a new issue of 10 Maltese Pound Banknotes bore only the signature of the then Deputy Governor of the Bank.
Central Bank of Malta: Third Series of Banknotes (1979-1983):
In 03/1979, the Central Bank of Malta issued its Third Series of Banknotes retaining the previous denominations of Lm1, Lm5 and Lm10 as in the previous 1973 and 1975 issues.
This issue, which commemorated Malta's new status of neutrality and the termination of military facilities for foreign powers in 1979, included the new circular emblem of Malta, which had replaced the armorial bearings in 1975.
The Lm1 Banknote, printed in brown and grey had a map of the Maltese Islands and an inscription "GĦALL ĠID TAL-MALTIN ĠIEĦ IR-REPUBBLIKA" (meaning "FOR THE GOOD OF THE MALTESE THE REPUBLIC HAS COME"), but the most prominent feature on this Banknote was the gardjola gardens in Senglea Malta.
The Lm5 Banknote had varied shades of violet portraying culture by Antonio Sciortino.
The Lm10 Banknote was grey and pink and showed a statue symbolising justice.
In 1981, the Bank withdrew from circulation the 5 Maltese Pound Banknote from circulation issued in 1968 and the 1 Maltese Pound Banknote issued in 1969.
In 1982, the Bank withdrew the 1 Maltese Pound issued in 1973.
In 1983, the 5 Maltese Pound Banknote ceased to be legal tender.
In 1982, the Central Bank issued Banknotes with special features to help the visually impaired persons distinguish the authenticity of various denominations from one another.
The Lm10 Banknote had three dots embossed above the emblem of the Republic of Malta on the Front.
The Lm5 Banknote had three dots , while the Lm1 Banknote had one dot.
Central Bank of Malta: Fourth Series of Banknotes (1986-1988):
In 1986, the Central Bank issued the Fourth Series of Banknotes, which included denominations of Lm2, Lm5, Lm10 and Lm20, of which the Lm2 and LM20 were new denominations.
The Lm1 Banknote was not reissued in this series and was replaced by the Lm1 Coin.
The Banknotes were printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd. and portrayed the President of the Republic at the time. For the first time, the Banknotes featured the word "Lira" on its own, without its accompanying English version - the Pound.
In fact, the "Pound" symbol was no longer used and the capital letter "L" was introduced instead.
Following an amendment by Act XIII of 1983, the unit of currency in Malta became legally known as the "Lira Maltija" with its corresponding symbol - "Lm".
In 03/1988, an amendment to the Central Bank of Malta Act was passed through which the designs on the currency notes issued by the Bank could not portray any person who was still alive at the time.
Central Bank of Malta: Fifth Series of Banknotes (1989-1993):
In 09/1989, the Central Bank of Malta issued the fifth Series of Banknotes, coinciding with the 25th Anniversary of Malta's Independence. The denominations of Lm2, Lm5, Lm10 and Lm20 were similar in size to the fourth series.
The Front of each Banknote depicted the allegorical figure of Malta, as well as, the Emblem of the United Nations and doves - reflecting Malta's commitment to international peace.
The Banknotes also contained the armorial bearings of the Central Bank of Malta, going away from the concept of Malta's emblem, which had been changed again in 1988.
In contrast to previous trends, the Lm20 never really took off and its circulation started declining after 1991.
As a result, the 1986 Lm20 Banknote was demonetised in 1992 and the Lm1 in 1993.
In 1994, 1997, 1999 and 2001, various versions of all denominations of the Fifth Series were issued.
Many Banknotes were replaced by the Euro, when Malta became a member of the EU and adopted the Euro as its currency on 01.01.2008.
The Maltese Lira Banknotes remained legal tender until 31.01.2008, but could be exchanged for the Euro at the Central Bank of Malta for up to ten years after they were demonetised i.e. till 31.01.2018.
The above Banknote is from the collection of my friend Jayant Biswas. Post researched and written by Rajeev Prasad)
8) Ta' Hagrat Temples, Malta: "Maltese Pre-historic Temples Coin Series" depicting UNESCO World Heritage List featured Megalithic Temple Complexes in Malta: Fourth Coin in the Series: Date of issue: 22.07.2019
9) "Suez Canal": Central Bank of Malta issues a 150th Anniversary Silver commemorative Coin of 10 Euros (1869-2019), minted by the Royal Dutch Mint: Coin issue date: 18.11.2019
In 1964, after gaining Independence from Britain, the Maltese Government established the Central Bank of Malta in 1967, which started operations in 1968 and was responsible, inter alia, for the issue and control of Currency Notes and Coins.
At this time, Malta's paper currency consisted of three different 1 Pound, and 10s Banknotes. Malta decided to print its own Banknotes.
In 1968, the Central Bank of Malta issued 1 and 5 Pound Banknotes, both denominations printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. Ltd.
The Banknotes had the same design as the 1961 and 1963 Banknotes, but the colour was changed from blue to dark brown for the 5 Pound Banknote and from green to red for the 10s Banknote.
In 1969, when the old Banknotes had been depleted, the Bank issued its first 1 Pound Banknote in olive green, but retained the same design as the previous Banknote of 1963.
In 12/1969, all previous Banknotes printed by the Currency Board in 1951, 1961 and 1963 ceased to be legal tender in Malta.
Central Bank of Malta: Second Series of Banknotes: (1973-1975):
In 1972, the introduction of the new decimal coinage spurred the Central Bank of Malta to implement uniformity in Banknote circulation. The Lira was the currency of Malta from 1972 to 31.12.2007.
Currency Notes of 1s, 2s, 2s6d and 5s issued in the early 1940s to make up for the lack of coinage because of transportation problems during World War II, were demonetised by 12/1971. The 10s Banknotes issued by the Bank in 1968 also ceased to be legal tender in 06/1972.
On 15.01.1973, the Central Bank of Malta issued its Second Series of Banknotes printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd.
The new Banknotes included Lm1 (green colour), Lm5 (blue colour) and Lm10 (dark and light brown colour).
The 10s Banknote was replaced by a 50c coin during the same period.
The new Banknotes had enhanced security features, including a vertically running security thread and a phosphorous mark in the form of an eight-pointed cross. The Banknotes also contained a watermark showing an allegorical Head of Malta, designed by the Maltese artist Emvin Cremona.
These Banknotes always bore a series of combinations of signatures of top persons at the Central Bank, however in 1975, a new issue of 10 Maltese Pound Banknotes bore only the signature of the then Deputy Governor of the Bank.
Central Bank of Malta: Third Series of Banknotes (1979-1983):
In 03/1979, the Central Bank of Malta issued its Third Series of Banknotes retaining the previous denominations of Lm1, Lm5 and Lm10 as in the previous 1973 and 1975 issues.
This issue, which commemorated Malta's new status of neutrality and the termination of military facilities for foreign powers in 1979, included the new circular emblem of Malta, which had replaced the armorial bearings in 1975.
The Lm1 Banknote, printed in brown and grey had a map of the Maltese Islands and an inscription "GĦALL ĠID TAL-MALTIN ĠIEĦ IR-REPUBBLIKA" (meaning "FOR THE GOOD OF THE MALTESE THE REPUBLIC HAS COME"), but the most prominent feature on this Banknote was the gardjola gardens in Senglea Malta.
The Lm5 Banknote had varied shades of violet portraying culture by Antonio Sciortino.
The Lm10 Banknote was grey and pink and showed a statue symbolising justice.
In 1981, the Bank withdrew from circulation the 5 Maltese Pound Banknote from circulation issued in 1968 and the 1 Maltese Pound Banknote issued in 1969.
In 1982, the Bank withdrew the 1 Maltese Pound issued in 1973.
In 1983, the 5 Maltese Pound Banknote ceased to be legal tender.
In 1982, the Central Bank issued Banknotes with special features to help the visually impaired persons distinguish the authenticity of various denominations from one another.
The Lm10 Banknote had three dots embossed above the emblem of the Republic of Malta on the Front.
The Lm5 Banknote had three dots , while the Lm1 Banknote had one dot.
Central Bank of Malta: Fourth Series of Banknotes (1986-1988):
In 1986, the Central Bank issued the Fourth Series of Banknotes, which included denominations of Lm2, Lm5, Lm10 and Lm20, of which the Lm2 and LM20 were new denominations.
The Lm1 Banknote was not reissued in this series and was replaced by the Lm1 Coin.
The Banknotes were printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd. and portrayed the President of the Republic at the time. For the first time, the Banknotes featured the word "Lira" on its own, without its accompanying English version - the Pound.
In fact, the "Pound" symbol was no longer used and the capital letter "L" was introduced instead.
Following an amendment by Act XIII of 1983, the unit of currency in Malta became legally known as the "Lira Maltija" with its corresponding symbol - "Lm".
In 03/1988, an amendment to the Central Bank of Malta Act was passed through which the designs on the currency notes issued by the Bank could not portray any person who was still alive at the time.
Central Bank of Malta: Fifth Series of Banknotes (1989-1993):
In 09/1989, the Central Bank of Malta issued the fifth Series of Banknotes, coinciding with the 25th Anniversary of Malta's Independence. The denominations of Lm2, Lm5, Lm10 and Lm20 were similar in size to the fourth series.
The Front of each Banknote depicted the allegorical figure of Malta, as well as, the Emblem of the United Nations and doves - reflecting Malta's commitment to international peace.
The Banknotes also contained the armorial bearings of the Central Bank of Malta, going away from the concept of Malta's emblem, which had been changed again in 1988.
In contrast to previous trends, the Lm20 never really took off and its circulation started declining after 1991.
As a result, the 1986 Lm20 Banknote was demonetised in 1992 and the Lm1 in 1993.
In 1994, 1997, 1999 and 2001, various versions of all denominations of the Fifth Series were issued.
Many Banknotes were replaced by the Euro, when Malta became a member of the EU and adopted the Euro as its currency on 01.01.2008.
The Maltese Lira Banknotes remained legal tender until 31.01.2008, but could be exchanged for the Euro at the Central Bank of Malta for up to ten years after they were demonetised i.e. till 31.01.2018.
The above Banknote is from the collection of my friend Jayant Biswas. Post researched and written by Rajeev Prasad)
For posts on Central Bank of Malta issues, please visit the following links:
8) Ta' Hagrat Temples, Malta: "Maltese Pre-historic Temples Coin Series" depicting UNESCO World Heritage List featured Megalithic Temple Complexes in Malta: Fourth Coin in the Series: Date of issue: 22.07.2019
9) "Suez Canal": Central Bank of Malta issues a 150th Anniversary Silver commemorative Coin of 10 Euros (1869-2019), minted by the Royal Dutch Mint: Coin issue date: 18.11.2019
No comments:
Post a Comment