Ancient and medieval coins
If one had to go through Malta's
history, one is bound to find that the coinage used was mainly
that of the foreign ruling power of the Island or of neighbouring
countries with which Malta had extensive trade links.
The first known coins introduced into the Maltese Islands were
those of the Carthaginians who occupied the Islands
from approximately the mid-sixth century BC. These coins, which
remained the standard currency for about two centuries, contained
figures of divinities and various symbols. Various Greek coins
struck in the Greek colonies in nearby Sicily and Southern Italy
have also been found in Malta and Gozo. Following the Roman conquest of the Islands
from the Carthaginians at the start of the Second Punic War in
218 B.C., the Maltese Islands were allowed a limited measure
of self-government and even minted their own coinage. The Punic
influence in Malta was slow to disappear and remained evident
well into the Roman Period. The Maltese coins of that period
were all struck in bronze, the only metal the Roman authorities
permitted to be coined. However, Roman silver and bronze coins
dating to this period were also current in the Maltese Islands.
The early coins struck reflect the double culture
prevalent at the time in the Maltese Islands - Punic and Greek.
Although they were struck during the Roman period they bear either
the Punic legend ANN (which may mean ship) or the Greek legend
MELITAIWN (meaning of Malta). Also one coin-type minted in Gozo
bears the legend in Greek characters 'GAYLITWN', (of Gozo).
The Greek legend reflects Greek influence on
the Maltese Islands during the Hellenistic Period. This influence
progressively increased in evidence after Malta and Gozo were
annexed to the Roman Province of Sicily whose dominant culture
was Greek.
Towards the mid-first century B.C. coins based
on Sicilian standards were struck in Malta, reflecting increasing
contacts between the two Mediterranean islands. One coin bears
the Greek legend MELITAIWN on the obverse and on the reverse
there is the name of the Roman Propraetor C Arruntanus Balbus
who governed the Sicilian province from 35 to 27 B.C.
After the first century B.C. there are no records
to show that the Maltese Islands continued to mint their own
coins. From this date on the coinage of Rome was used throughout
the Empire.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Malta was
ruled in turn by the Byzantines, the Arabs, the Normans, the
Swabians, Angevins, the Aragonese and Castilians. The coinage
of these rulers was current in the Maltese Islands.
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