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CC 473 2022
Coincard
BU
Coincard
Malta · Series: Prehistoric Sites, Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni
Mintage20,000
Issue price€8.00
Issue date17 Nov 2022
PackagingCoincard
Edge lettering2 ✠✠ × 6, alternately upright/inverted
Market price€14.90
Issue occasion
The coin commemorates the Ħal-Saflieni Hypogeum, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The design shows part of this prehistoric site, as well as the inscription “ĦAL – SAFLIENI HYPOGEUM” and the years “4 000 – 2 500 BC”.
The design
The coin design shows part of the prehistoric site. At the top left are the name of the issuing country, “MALTA”, and below it the year of issue, “2022”. Below the design is the inscription “ĦAL – SAFLIENI HYPOGEUM”, and beneath it the years “4 000 – 2 500 BC”. At the bottom right are the initials of the coin designer Noel Galea Bason, “NGB”.
The outer ring of the coin features the twelve stars of the European flag.
The outer ring of the coin features the twelve stars of the European flag.
Background on the topic
The Hypogeum is located in Paola, a town in Malta’s densely populated harbour area. It was discovered in 1902 during construction work for residential buildings. After workers broke into a cavity, archaeological investigations began, initially under the direction of the Jesuit and antiquarian Manuel Magri, and later conducted by the Maltese archaeologist Themistocles Zammit.
The complex was carved entirely into the soft limestone and extends over several underground levels. Corridors, niches and chambers of various shapes formed a complex that served primarily for burials. Human bones as well as ceramics, jewellery, small figurines and other grave goods were found there. Some rooms feature spirals and other geometric patterns applied in red ochre. Architectural details such as apparent pillars, doorways and ceiling structures were carved out of the rock. They are reminiscent of architectural elements of the above-ground Maltese temple complexes.
One of the best-known finds is a small clay figurine commonly referred to as the “Sleeping Lady”. It depicts a person reclining on a couch and is now kept at the National Museum of Archaeology (Nationalmuseum für Archäologie) in Valletta. Its exact function has not been determined. The religious beliefs and rituals of the communities that used the Hypogeum can likewise only be inferred from the archaeological finds.
UNESCO added the complex to the World Heritage List in 1980. Because of its sensitive indoor climate and the effects of moisture and carbon dioxide, access is now strictly limited.
The issue forms part of a Maltese coin series on the country’s prehistoric UNESCO sites. Previously, the series had covered, among others, Ġgantija, Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra, Ta’ Ħaġrat, Skorba and Tarxien. The series concluded with the Hypogeum.
The complex was carved entirely into the soft limestone and extends over several underground levels. Corridors, niches and chambers of various shapes formed a complex that served primarily for burials. Human bones as well as ceramics, jewellery, small figurines and other grave goods were found there. Some rooms feature spirals and other geometric patterns applied in red ochre. Architectural details such as apparent pillars, doorways and ceiling structures were carved out of the rock. They are reminiscent of architectural elements of the above-ground Maltese temple complexes.
One of the best-known finds is a small clay figurine commonly referred to as the “Sleeping Lady”. It depicts a person reclining on a couch and is now kept at the National Museum of Archaeology (Nationalmuseum für Archäologie) in Valletta. Its exact function has not been determined. The religious beliefs and rituals of the communities that used the Hypogeum can likewise only be inferred from the archaeological finds.
UNESCO added the complex to the World Heritage List in 1980. Because of its sensitive indoor climate and the effects of moisture and carbon dioxide, access is now strictly limited.
The issue forms part of a Maltese coin series on the country’s prehistoric UNESCO sites. Previously, the series had covered, among others, Ġgantija, Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra, Ta’ Ħaġrat, Skorba and Tarxien. The series concluded with the Hypogeum.