Valletta 2018 committee is miffed… about a commemorative coin and stamp issue

The foundation implementing the Capital of Culture programme said it could sue Malta’s Central Bank and postal company Maltapost over a ‘Valletta 2018’ commemorative coin

Silver coin draws ‘disappointment’ from committee implementing cultural programme for Valletta’s year as European Capital of Culture
Silver coin draws ‘disappointment’ from committee implementing cultural programme for Valletta’s year as European Capital of Culture

The Valletta 2018 foundation implementing Malta’s cultural programme as the co-European Capital of Culture, has taken exception to a numismatic issue commemorating the 2018 accolade.

The Central Bank of Malta and MaltaPost issued a joint numismatic product consisting of a silver coin and a silver foil stamp replica to mark Valletta European Capital of Culture 2018.

But the V18 Foundation is claiming the commemorative coin issue is “unethical” since at no time was its consent sought.

“No authorisation was ever sought from the foundation for this set of coins and stamp… we express our disappointment at this lack of ethics by these two institutions who should know better,” the foundation, led by chairman Jason Micallef, said.

The V18 Foundation said it would “reserve the right for legal action” against the Central Bank and Maltapost.

The commemorative coin, struck at the Royal Dutch Mint, shows the emblem of Malta and the year of issue 2018 on the obverse. On the reverse the coin carries a personification of Valletta, a fortress city, represented as a woman wearing armour. The silver replica stamp was also produced for MaltaPost by the Royal Dutch Mint and depicts the €0.26 postage stamp from the Valletta 2018 European Capital of Culture stamp issue.

The European Capital of Culture programme is a European Union initiative that seeks to highlight the richness and diversity of European cultures and promote a sense of common identity between European citizens.

Apart from the cultural programme that is facilitated by the V18 Foundation, the title is meant to raise the international profile of European cities, and is an opportunity for regenerating cities and fostering tourism. A European Capital of Culture holds the title for one year. Valletta, the capital city of Malta, is sharing the 2018 title with Leeuwarden-Friesland in the Netherlands.