The Central Bank of Malta has issued a €2 commemorative coin and a silver coin, celebrating Ċittadella in Gozo.

The coins were officially launched on 23rd August during a ceremony held in the recently restored surroundings of the Ċittadella.

The €2 commemorative coin is the first of a series dedicated to Maltese walled cities. The coins are manufactured in Brilliant Uncirculated quality and will be presented in coin cards as well as part of the 2024 set comprising the eight Malta euro coins from one cent to €2.

The silver coin, limited to just 400 pieces, is the result of a collaboration project between the bank and the Ministry for Gozo and Planning. It has a face value of €10, is struck in 0.925 silver, has a weight of 28.28g, a diameter of 38.61 mm and is finished to proof quality.

The coin depicts the Ċittadella on the reverse and the coat of arms of the Republic of Malta on the obverse.

Both the silver coin and the national side of the €2 commemorative coin were designed and engraved by Noel Galea Bason and minted at the Royal Dutch Mint.

Built on high grounds in the centre of the island’s Victoria, comprising Rabat and Ċittadella, the site has ancient roots that date back at least to the Bronze Age.

In 1600, the Order of St John commissioned Giobanni Rinaldini, an Italian military engineer to remodel and upgrade the defences of the Ċittadella.

Although by the 1760s the military importance of the Ċittadella had diminished, it remained the administrative seat of Government in Gozo.

In 1887, at the request of some prominent Gozitans, and on the occasion of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, Ċittadella and Rabat were designated as a city, and by the Queen’s consent were named Victoria.

In 2014, a rehabilitation and restoration of the Ċitadella was initated and in 2022 the project won the 2022 Regiostards Awards. Ċitadella has been on Malta’s tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1998.