Last week, the Central Bank of Malta issued gold and silver coins celebrating the work of Maltese artist and sculptor Antonio Sciortino.
Issued under the auspices of the Europa Coin Programme, the coins’ obverse features the Europa Star logo alongside the coat of arms of Malta.
The Europa Coin Programme allows European Union member states to issue legal-tender collector coins in a series of themed releases celebrating European identity.
The reverse depicts a representation of Sciortino’s 1937 sculpture “Dangerous Sport.” The coins were designed and engraved by Noel Galea Bason and minted at the Royal Dutch Mint. There is a limited mintage of 1,000 (gold) and 3,000 (silver) pieces, respectively.
The €50 gold coin has a weight of 6.5 grams and a 21-mm diameter. The €10 silver has a weight of 28.28 grams and a 38.61-mm diameter.
Sciortino, who produced a significant amount of work throughout his nearly 70-year life, is arguably Malta’s most internationally acclaimed artist. This coin is part of a five-year series commemorating different periods of European art history, including art of the modern 20th century (2016); the age of iron and glass (2017); Baroque and Rococo (2018); Renaissance (2019); and Gothic (2020).