Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 2 Mils 1981-1984, KM# 54, Malta, 10th Anniversary of Decimalization
  • 2 Mils 1981-1984, KM# 54, Malta, 10th Anniversary of Decimalization
Description

Decimal Day in the United Kingdom and its colonies was Monday 15 February 1971, the day on which each country decimalised its respective £sd currency of pounds, shillings, and pence.

Before this date, both the British pound sterling (symbol "£") were subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 (old) pence, a total of 240 pence. With decimalisation, the pound kept its old value and name in each currency, but the shilling was abolished, and the pound was divided into 100 new pence (abbreviated to "p"). In the UK, the new coins initially featured the word “new”, but in due course this was dropped. Each new penny was worth 2.4 old pence ("d.") in each currency.

Engraver: Christopher Ironside

Obverse

Depicts a Maltese cross in the middle, on the upper edge the country name between two dolphins, on the lower edge the year of issue also between two dolphins from the coat of arms of Malta.

The Maltese cross is the cross symbol associated with the Order of St. John since 1567, with the traditional Knights Hospitaller and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and by extension with the island of Malta. The cross is a white eight-pointed cross having the form of four "V"-shaped elements, each joining the others at its vertex, leaving the other two tips spread outward symmetrically. This is placed on a red background or worn on a black mantle. The term is often wrongly applied to all forms of eight-pointed crosses irrespective of colour or background.

In the 15th century, the eight points of the four arms of the later called Maltese Cross represented the eight lands of origin, or Langues of the Knights Hospitaller: Auvergne, Provence, France, Aragon, Castille and Portugal, Italy, Germany, and England (with Scotland and Ireland). The eight points also symbolize the eight obligations or aspirations of the knights: to live in truth, to have faith, to repent one's sins, to give proof of humility, to love justice, to be merciful, to be sincere and wholehearted to endure persecution.

MALTA
1982

Reverse

Depicts a large value in the middle, along the top edge inscription of the event.

10TH ANNIVERSARY OF DECIMALIZATION
2
MILS

Edge
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Circulating)
Material Aluminium
Weight 0.95 g
Diameter 20.3 mm
Thickness 1.49 mm
Shape wavy (scallop, sun-shaped)
Notches 8
Alignment Medal
Mint
Franklin Mint (FM)

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10th Anniversary of Decimalization

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