Malta Banknotes 1 Maltese Lira banknote 1979
Central Bank of Malta - Bank Ċentrali ta’ Malta
Obverse: In lower left corner is the band with inscription "Ghall-Gid tal-Maltin Gieh ir-Repubblika" ("For the Benefit of the Maltese"). Centered is stone sentry-box called locally "Gardjola" Watch Tower in Senglea, Malta. In top left corner is the map of Malta. Denominations in numerals are in all corners. In center in words. Coat of Arms of Malta from 1975 to 1988, depicting coastal scene, the rising sun, a traditional Maltese boat luzzu or kajjik, a shovel and a pitchfork, and an Opuntia, a paddle cactus.
Reverse: New university building, built in 1968, in Msida. In lower left corner is Cheirolophus crassifolius, the Maltese Centaury, Maltese Rock-centaury or Widnet il-Baħar. In top right corner is the Central Bank of Malta Logo. Denominations in numerals are in top left and lower right corners, also lower, in center. Lower, more left, in words.
Watermark: Allegorical Head of Malta - Melita.
Signature: Lino Spiteri (Deputy Governor).
Printer: Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited, London England.
Date of Issue: 30 March 1979.
Dimensions: 137 x 68 mm.
Texts: Bank Centrali ta’ Malta. Din il-karta tal-flus hija valuta legali ghal. Wiehed Lira. One Pound. f'Malta u mahruga bl-awtorità ta' l-Att ta' l-1967 tal-BankCentrali ta' Malta. Ghall-gid tal-Maltin gieh ir-Repubblika. Fiducia Fortis 1968.
Malta banknotes - Malta paper money
In March1979, the Central Bank of Malta embarked on its third series of currency issue, keeping the same £m1, £m5, and £m10 denominations 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 £m1 note, in brown and grey, had a map of the Maltese Islands and an inscription GĦALL ĠID TAL-MALTIN ĠIEĦ IR-REPUBBLIKA, but the most prominent feature on this note was the gardjola. The £m5 note had various shades of violet portraying a statue symbolizing culture by Antonio Sciortino. The £m10 note was grey and pink and showed a statue symbolizing justice.
In 1981, the Bank withdrew from circulation the £5 note issued in 1968 and the £1 note issued in 1969 while the green £m1 note of 1973 was called in 1982, followed by the £m5 note, which stopped being legal tender in 1983.
In 1982, the Central Bank of Malta issued currency notes with special features to help the blind distinguish authenticity and one denomination from another. The £m10 note had three 5mm dots embossed above the emblem of the Republic of Malta on the obverse, the £m5 note had two dots while the £m1 had one dot.
1 Maltese Lira 5 Maltese Lira 10 Maltese Lira
The Gardjola, made in 1565, coming from the Italian guardare - (to look at) in stone are carved the coat of arms of Claude de la Sengle plus an eye and an ear. This meant that the guard on watch had to be all eyes and ears.
Senglea
Senglea (Maltese: L-Isla), also known by its title Città Invicta (or Civitas Invicta), is a fortified city in the east of Malta, mainly in the Grand Harbour area. It is one of the Three Cities in the east of Malta, the other two being Cospicua and Vittoriosa, and has a population of slightly below three thousand people. The city's title Città Invicta was given because it managed to resist the Ottoman invasion at the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. The name is Senglea since the grandmaster who built it, Claude de la Sengle, gave this city a part of his name.
Central Bank of Malta Logo
Heraldry is essentially a system of recognition by hereditary devices developed among the knights of mediaeval Christendom. The majority of the symbols employed in heraldry have their own technical terms with French and Latin used principally in the description.
The establishment of the Armorial Bearings and Supporters of the Central Bank of Malta was a lengthy process involving registration in the official records of the College of Arms in the United Kingdom. By authority delegated to them by the Sovereign since the fifteenth century, three officers of the College, that is, the Kings of Arms, grant arms in a document called Letters Patent.
The Armorial Bearings of the Bank were duly established by Letters Patent. A formal application, known as a Memorial, was lodged in 1969 with the Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk, at the College of Arms. This was done through the Windsor Herald of Arms, acting on behalf of the Bank. This Memorial gave details of the Bank's constitution, its history and the law under which it was set up. Evidence of this was provided by the Central Bank of Malta Act 1967 and the Bank's Bye-Laws.
Once the Memorial had been submitted and agreement reached regarding the design, the Letters Patent were prepared on a large piece of vellum, or fine parchment, on which were shown the Royal Arms, the Arms of the College of Arms, and those of the Earl Marshal. The text of the Patent was hand engrossed, and contains a formal description of the Bank's Arms illuminated by hand. The document is officially signed and sealed by the King of Arms.
A preliminary sketch for the Armorial Bearings of the Bank was made by the well-known Maltese artist, Chevalier Emvin Cremona. The College suggested certain re-arrangements of the original design, and on the basis of these exchanges a final version was prepared and sent to the United Kingdom. It contained, in Latin, the motto, "Fiducia Fortis" - "In Confidence Strength," and "1968", the date of the Bank's foundation.
In designing the Armorial Bearings, the artist sought to capture an element which was not only original but also expressive of the spirit of Malta. The Bank's arms incorporate items then found in the official arms of Malta. These include the mural crown surmounting the crest - symbolic of Malta's historic role as a fortress; the Maltese national colours, red and white, on the shield; the George Cross, awarded to Malta for bravery in April 1942 by King George VI, and reproduced on the Bank's shield by authority of the Prime Minister of Malta; the dolphin on the head of the key, a fish known in classical Mediterranean literature and often appearing as a prime heraldic figure; and the laurel and palm branches, symbols of honour and peace, respectively, supporting the mural crown. The horizontal key on the shield is appropriate to the Armorial Bearings of the Bank, the governing financial institution in Malta and a key to economic progress and security.
The two supporting Knights of Malta are a unique feature. The granting of supporters to Armorial Bearings is a privilege allowed only to major institutions. In the Bank's case they have a very special significance. The Knights represent confidence and strength, the two virtues which are incorporated in the Bank's motto. They also symbolize some of the greatest pages in the Country's long military history, when for more than two-and-a-half centuries Malta was ruled by the Order of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem. The plumed helmet of a knight which surmounts the shield also has a special connection with Malta. It is modeled on one found on a monument in the sixteenth-century Co-Cathedral of St John in Valletta, built by the Knights.
The official copy of the Bank's Armorial Bearings contains colours reflecting Malta's historic past. The Knights on either side of the shield are of a steely blue colour. The feathers composing the plume on each helm on the Knights' heads are in red and white, while the blades, quillons and the pommel of the two-handed swords, together with the cords and tassels hanging from them are in gold. This is also the colour of the mural crown above the crest.
A black and white design of the Armorial Bearings was first used in the Bank's Annual Report for 1970. A library painting of the final version of the Armorial Bearings and Supporters was displayed at the official inauguration of the Bank on 13 February 1971. An embossed fibre-glass version in colour now hangs in the Bank's Board Room.
Cheirolophus crassifolius
Cheirolophus crassifolius, the Maltese Centaury, Maltese Rock-centaury or Widnet il-Baħar, is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, it is only found on cliffs near the sea where it has the right amount of humidity (like dingli cliffs or ta cancu) It is endemic to Malta, where it has been the national plant of Malta since 1973. Its natural habitats are cliffs and coastal valleys . It is threatened by habitat loss.
It is scarce but widespread in the wild on the western cliffs of Malta, rare on the southern cliffs of Gozo, but frequent as a cultivated species in roundabouts. It is quite common in the limits of Wied Babu in the south east of Malta.
It was first described by Stefano Zerafa, around 1830, as the only species of the monotypic genus Palaeocyanus. However, around the year 2000, it was transferred to Cheirolophus, in the light of genetic studies done in that year. The name Cheirolophus means red head, while crassifolius mean thick leaves. The leaves are succulent and spoon shaped. The variety serratifolia (serrated leaves) is very rare, and only known from Gozo. This species is cultivated due to its national importance. The remaining species of the genus Cheirolophus are Canary Island endemics.