| Description : The coin is dedicated to the prehistoric temple complex of
Ħaġar Qim, south of Qrendi, created between 3600 and 3200 BC. Only 500 m away is the cult place
Mnajdra. Thousands of years ago, this was the only flat coastal strip on the southwest coast of Malta due to the low water
level. The bays provided moorings for water vehicles and allowed the ascent to the temple terrace. Shown here is the
south‐east facade of the South Temple with bank altars and the entrance to the Old Temple (right). In 1992
Ħaġar Qim, together with the other Bronze Age temples in Malta, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as
the Megalithic Temples of Malta. In the upper right‐hand corner, the inscriptions "ĦAĠAR QIM", "TEMPLES"
and the dates "3600‐3200 BC" can be seen one below the other. At the bottom left is the name of the issuing
country "MALTA" and below it the year of issue "2017". At the bottom right are the initials of coin designer Noel
Galea Bason "NGB". The coin was struck without a mint mark by the French mint Monnaie de Paris in Plessac; on
Coincard specimens, the year is flanked on the left by a cornucopia as their mint mark, while on the right a pentagon
represents the mint master's mark Yves Sampos. Coin sets in circulation coin sets bear an "F" (for France) in the
6 o'clock star. |
