| Description : Malta was declared a republic following constitutional
amendments supported by a large majority of the Maltese Parliament. The coin depicts a marble plaque placed on the facade
of the Presidential Palace in Valletta. It depicts the coat of arms of Malta in force from 1975 to 1988 and a water taxi
called "Dgħajsa" or "Dgħajsa tal‐Pass", the type of boat on which ‐ like the Maltese fishing boats
called Luzzu ‐ is possibly of Phoenician origin. Next to two agricultural tools, a shovel and a "worgfork" with which
the threshed grain is thrown into the air to separate it from the chaff, a prickly pear cactus is depicted. The
commemorative text reads: "13 TA' DIĊEMBRU 1974 MALTA KBURIJA LI L‐PARLAMENT TAGHHA B'
MAĠĠORANZA KBIRA IDDIKJARAHA REPUBBLIKA L‐AQWA ĠIEH LI KISBET GHALL‐EWWEL DARRA FIL‐ĠRAJJA T
AGHHA" (13th of December 1974 ‐ Malta is proud that its Parliament has declared it a Republic by a
large majority, the best achieved for the first time). The design of the coin is by Ġanni Bonnici. Above is
"MALTA ‐ Republic 1974", below is "2015". The coin was minted without a mint mark by the Royal Dutch Mint
Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt in Utrecht; specimens included in coin sets bear their mint mark, a Hermes staff,
between the 5 and 6 o'clock star. |
