Flag of Malta with the George Cross. The white and red is derived from the checkered flag of the Normans that conquered Malta in 1091.
History
Antiquity
Malta is home to one of the oldest buildings in the world, built around 5500 years ago. The islands' proximity to Sicily dominated its history. The Romans conquered Malta from the Carthaginians during the Second Punic War in 218 BC.
Middle Ages
After the demise of the Roman Empire it eventually fell into Byzantine hands. The Arabs first invaded Malta in 827 AD, and left it practically uninhabited after 870, only to return in 1048 when it was part of the Emirate of Sicily. The Normans captured Malta in 1091, making it part of the Norman Kingdom of Sicily that included Southern Italy.
Sicily and Malta separated from the Italian mainland part of the kingdom in 1282 and from then on were ruled by the Aragonese from Spain, and became part of Habsburg Spain in 1516. Emperor Charles V gave Malta to the Knights Hospitaller in 1530, following their expulsion from the Greek island of Rhodes by the Ottomans in 1522.
The Ottomans laid siege on Malta in 1565, but a coalition of the knights and Spanish forces defeated the invaders. The knights' Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette decided to improve the defense of Malta and founded a new city named Valetta, the current capital of Malta.
Modern era
A French army invaded Malta in 1798, ending the Knights' rule. The French occupation was only brief as the British captured the islands in 1800 after which it became a British Dominion on a very strategic location in the middle of the Mediterranean. As a consequence, Malta was vulnerable to Italian and German air attacks during World War 2, but withstood a siege in 1942. King George VI awarded the people of Malta with the George Cross in recognition of their efforts. This cross features on the Maltese flag.
Independence (1964-date)
Malta became an independent country in 1964, still under Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. The Republic of Malta was proclaimed in 1974. It joined the European Union in 2004 and adopted the Euro in 2008. Malta's economy relies on trade, tourism and financial offshoring.
Currency
The Order of Malta (1530-1798) used the Maltese Scudo, which was derived from the Sicilian Scudo. A Scudo was subdivided in 12 Tarí, each of 20 Grana. A Grana was worth 6 Piccioli.
Old Maltese coins circulated until 1885, even though British coinage was introduced in the early 19th century. The Pound Sterling was set at 12 Scudi, making a Grana worth exactly 1/3rd of a Farthing (or 1/12th Penny). Consequently, the British decided to mint Third Farthings between 1827 and 1913. These coins appear like normal UK currency but only circulated on Malta. Other non-decimal UK coins circulated on Malta as well, even after independence in 1964.
In 1972 a decimalised Maltese Lira was introduced, after a devaluation of Pound Sterling that was not followed by Malta. The Maltese Lira was pegged to a basket of global currencies and appreciated to around £1.60 in the following decade. It was subdivided in 100 Cents or 1000 Mils. Coins of 2, 3 and 5 Mils, 1, 2 5, 10, 25 and 50 Cents were introduced in 1972.
In 1986 a new coinage was introduced with denominations from 1 Cent until 1 Lira. The Maltese Lira was the second most valued currency unit in the world behind the Kuwaiti Dinar. In 1991 the coat of arms of Malta replaced an older design on the coins.
The Euro replaced the Maltese Lira in 2008 at a rate of 0.4293 MT£ per €. Maltese Euro coins occasionally show up in circulation in other Euro countries. They are not easiy found but at the same time not rare at all.
Order of Malta (1530-1798):
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/ordre_de_malte-1.html
British Third Farthings (1827-1913):
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/index.php?mode=simplifie&p=1&r=Third+Farthing&e=&d=&ca=3&no=&i=&v=&m=&a=&t=&dg=&w=&g=&f=&c=&co=y&cno=y&cc=y&cu=y&cat=y
Malta (1972-date):
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/malte-1.html
