The Maltese ox — known locally as the gendus — was the primary draft animal of Maltese agriculture for centuries, plowing the thin limestone-riddled soil of the islands before mechanization rendered it functionally extinct as a working animal by the mid-twentieth century. Malta's agricultural terraces, many of which survive today, were built and maintained largely through its labor. This coin belongs to a broader Central Bank series documenting vanishing elements of Maltese rural heritage.
The Maltese ox — known locally as the gendus — was the primary draft animal of Maltese agriculture for centuries, plowing the thin limestone-riddled soil of the islands before mechanization rendered it functionally extinct as a working animal by the mid-twentieth century. Malta's agricultural terraces, many of which survive today, were built and maintained largely through its labor. This coin belongs to a broader Central Bank series documenting vanishing elements of Maltese rural heritage.