1 Cent

Malta decimalized in 1972, replacing the pound-shilling-penny system with the Maltese lira divided into 100 cents. The Central Bank issued this series through the 1970s and 1980s largely unchanged in specification, a reflection of fiscal stability unusual for a small island nation navigating post-independence economic pressures. The 1986 date falls late in the series run before the designs were revisited ahead of EU accession negotiations.