In the coming weeks, the Central Bank of Malta will issue numismatic coins in gold and silver commemorating 550 years since the birth of artist Albrecht Dürer.
The gold coin has a face value of €50, and the silver coin has a face value of €10. The €10 coins are limited to 1,000 pieces and are struck in 0.925 silver. Each coin weighs 28.28g and has a diameter of 38.61mm. The €50 coins are limited to just 400 pieces, and each is struck in 0.916 gold, weighs 6.5g and has a diameter of 21mm. The silver and gold coins are finished to proof quality.
The coins were designed and engraved by Noel Galea Bason and were minted at the Royal Dutch Mint. The obverse of the coins features the coat of arms of Malta. The reverse shows a representation of one of Dürer’s woodcut engravings entitled ‘St George and the Dragon’.
Albrecht Dürer was born in the city of Nuremberg on 21 May 1471. Although his work was steeped in the German late-Gothic style, his travels to Italy brought him in contact with the Italian Renaissance, which influenced him profoundly. He was an accomplished artist but is best remembered for the prodigious amount of engravings he made: some 346 woodcuts and 108 copper engravings. Dürer elevated engraving to a high art form. His prints are appreciated for their aesthetic qualities, intricate and minute details, and the deft techniques employed to create shading and spatial depth.
Dürer is an icon of German and European art, and his works are featured in museums and galleries worldwide. In Malta, the Mdina Cathedral Museum has a prestigious collection of around 74 original works – 60 woodcuts and 14 engravings – including ‘St George and the Dragon’, which inspired the artwork of the Central Bank of Malta coin.
The Bank has launched a short, informative video about the Dürer collection at the museum, as well as about the engraving selected for the numismatic launch. This can be found on the Bank’s website at www.centralbankmalta.org. The Mdina Cathedral Museum will be holding an exhibition dedicated to Dürer from 21 May to August.
Interested persons may purchase coins directly from the Malta Coin Centre’s online e-shop facility. The selling price of gold coins is €350, while that of silver coins is €65.
More information may be obtained from the Malta Coin Centre, which may be contacted by email on mcc@centralbankmalta.org, or by phone on +356 2550 6006/7. A digital version of the 2021 coin programme is available from the Malta Coin Centre website as well as on the Central Bank of Malta’s website www.centralbankmalta.org