Maltese lira banknotes
Euro Coin Exchange will exchange much of your Maltese lira paper money for dollars. Specifically, we will buy all of your old Maltese lira banknotes issued from September 18, 1989 onward (the 5th series). We do not buy any Maltese lira coins, or earlier series banknotes.
Pictures of the various 5th series Malta bank notes, along with descriptive information, can be found below:
Lm2 Banknote
5th SERIES
5th SERIES, ENHANCED VERSION
Size: 66.5mm x 138mm
Color: Red
Reverse: The Banka Guratali at Mdina and at Rabat, Gozo.
Lm5 Banknote
5th SERIES
5th SERIES, ENHANCED VERSION
Size: 69mm x 145mm
Color: Blue
Reverse: The back of Mdina Gate, Torre dello Standardo,
extract from Maltese declaration of rights.
Lm10 Banknote
5th SERIES
5th SERIES, ENHANCED VERSION
Size: 72.5mm x 145mm
Color: Green
Reverse: 7 June 1919 Monument in Valletta, a national assembly meeting
held on 7 June 1919, the day when four Maltese citizens were killed.
Lm20 Banknote
5th SERIES
5th SERIES, ENHANCED VERSION
Size: 76mm x 145mm
Color: Brown
Reverse: Dr Borg Olivier, Prime Minister in 1964 when Malta was granted
its Independence, raising of the Maltese flag and a marble tablet
in Valletta commemorating Independence on 21st September 1964.
Maltese banknotes – 5th Series and enhanced version
On September 18, 1989 the Central Bank of Malta issued the Fifth Series of currency notes, consisting of four denominations: Lm2, Lm5, Lm10 and Lm20.
The obverse is common to all the four notes. The central theme is a figure of a woman holding a rudder, symbolizing Malta in control of her own destiny. Other features are three doves symbolizing peace, the United Nations Emblem, the Central Bank of Malta Coat-of-Arms, and mosaic designs from the period of Roman presence in Malta.
Maltese banknotes were replaced by euro when Malta became a member of the euro area and adopted the euro as its currency on 1 January 2008. Subsequently, the Maltese currency remained legal tender until 31 January 2008. However Maltese banknotes can still be exchanged for euro at the Central Bank of Malta for up to ten years after being demonetized, that is, till 31 January 2018.
Security Features
The notes incorporate most of the security features available at the time. They contain various computerized Guilloche patterns and rainbow litho printing, the lithographic background printing and the typographic printing of the numbers. The watermark depicts an ‘allegorical’ head which can be seen on the left hand side of the note when viewed from the front.
The security thread is incorporated into the paper at the manufacturing stage. It appears as a solid line running down the note and is visible on the right hand side when viewed from the front.
On the front of the notes, on the left hand side three scroll shapes can be observed which have been printed in silver ink, and which give a metallic luster to this image which both enhances its appearance and presents problems of reproduction.
When the notes are viewed obliquely, the letters ‘BCM’ incorporated on the front of the note at the bottom left hand corner, become visible and additionally, when the banknotes are held up to the light, the body of the doves printed on the back fit exactly within the outline of the doves on the front.
On 1 June 1994, the Central Bank of Malta issued amended designs of this Fifth series. Although the main design of the notes remained unchanged, the following security features were introduced:
- The new security thread appears as silver dashes on the front of the note.
- The silver metallic printing was extended in some areas.
- Additional see-through features were incorporated and new background colors and patterns used in these areas.
- A new style serial number appears in the top left position.
- On the Lm10 and Lm20 banknotes, in the bottom right hand side on the back of the notes, the color of the ink changes when the note is viewed from different angles.
Images and related information courtesy of the Central Bank of Malta.
