Malta: New Gold And Silver Coins Mark Country’s United Nations Security Council Seat

Malta’s enduring foreign policy strategic objective, as a member of the European Union, remains anchored in securing international peace and prosperity through multilateral efforts. The United Nations Security Council – UNSC consists of ten elected members and five permanent members, in alphabetical order - China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States. Malta was last on the UNSC in 1983-1984, and stood for one of two available seats from the Western European and Other States Group in June 2022. For the second time, and after 40 years, Malta was elected by a majority of the UN member states as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. The small island country located in the Mediterranean Sea with a population of 518,000 received 185 votes, or 97.3% of votes cast. The second seat on the UNSC went to Switzerland. Malta’s representatives took their seat on the 1st January 2023 and one month later, it assumed the rotating presidency of the council. Malta’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Ian Borg said in a statement after the election to the Council that Malta will adhere to three important principles: security, sustainability and solidarity. The country once again assumed the rotating Presidency for the month of April 2024. Malta’s term of the UNSC is for a period of two years and expires on the 31^st December 2024.

The gold and silver proof quality coins are produced by the Royal Dutch Mint at their facilities in Houten, Netherlands on behalf of the Central Bank of Malta and is designed by Antonella Napolione. The obverse side features a contemporary allegorical female representation of Malta shown in profile with a collection of hoisted flags to her right along her head. To the lower left is Malta’s official logo of candidacy, consisting of the lines of a luzzu, a traditional Maltese fishing boat, symbolic of local culture, and of Malta being a small island state surrounded by the sea. The logo also takes the shape of the seating of the General Assembly Hall. To the left of the primary design along the rim is the inscription U.N. SECURITY COUNCL and below MALTA TERM 2023 – 2024. The denomination EURO 50 (gold) or EURO 10 (silver) is placed to the lower right of the figure’s profile. The reverse side features the coat of arms of Malta centred, which was designed and engraved by Mr Noel Galea Bason. The crest is encircled with a wide rim and twelve five-pointed stars representing the EU. The text MALTA is placed to the left side of the crest and the year of issue 2024 placed to the right side.

Each €50 gold and €10 silver proof coins are encapsulated and presented in a branded custom case accompanied with a numbered certificate. For additional information, please visit the Central Bank of Malta’s e-webshop.