The arrival of the French in Malta in 1798

Description (ECB)

In June 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte ended the rule of the Order of St John in Malta. During his short stay in Malta, Napoleon established a Republican Government and issued a thorough reform of laws and institutions of Malta. Amongst other things, slavery and the privileges of nobility were abolished. A lay state was established, and the court of the Inquisition was closed. At the time, the far-reaching reforms were not universally accepted by the Maltese, and it was not long before they rebelled. The design depicts a personification of the French Republic as depicted on the official letterheads of the period. At the left-hand side is the inscription ‘225th ANNIVERSARY’ followed from the top to the right, in semi-circle, by the inscription ‘ARRIVAL OF THE FRENCH IN MALTA’. At the bottom is the year of issuance ‘2023’. The inscriptions ‘Liberté’ (Freedom) and ‘Egalité’ (Equality) are at the left and right side of the image, respectively. At the top left of the inscription ‘Egalité’ are the years ‘1798-2023’. The coin’s outer ring bears the 12 stars of the European flag.

Source: European Central Bank, €2 commemorative coin pages. Texts quoted as published. ECB 2023

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