Malta adopted the euro on January 1, 2008, after a conversion rate of MTL 0.4293 to €1 was fixed — ending the Maltese lira, which had been the highest-valued currency unit in the world at the time of its retirement. The specimen format was produced for collector sets issued by the Central Bank of Malta in the inaugural year, struck to a higher standard than circulation pieces and distributed through national banks rather than commerce.
Malta adopted the euro on January 1, 2008, after a conversion rate of MTL 0.4293 to €1 was fixed — ending the Maltese lira, which had been the highest-valued currency unit in the world at the time of its retirement. The specimen format was produced for collector sets issued by the Central Bank of Malta in the inaugural year, struck to a higher standard than circulation pieces and distributed through national banks rather than commerce.