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10 Liras Life of Pope John Paul II - Homecoming to Krakow
| Issuer | Sovereign Military Order of Malta |
|---|---|
| Year | 2005 |
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| Value | 10 Liras |
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| Obverse description | Central device comprises the eight-pointed Maltese Cross set within a circular wreath of laurel branches, surmounted by a royal crown with a small cross patée at its apex, evoking the heraldic arms of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. A scroll banner beneath the wreath bears the legend KNIGHTS OF MALTA, flanked by crossed swords. The date 20 05 is divided to either side of the lower wreath, with the issuer's abbreviation O.S.J. and the denomination 10 LIRAS inscribed in the lower field. The circular legend SOVRANO OSPEDALIERO ORDINE DI MALTA runs along the upper periphery, and a beaded border frames the entire design. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Issued the same year Karol Wojtyła died, this piece commemorates his 1979 return to Poland — his first visit as Pope to his homeland, then still under the Communist government of Edward Gierek. The nine-day pilgrimage drew crowds estimated in the millions and is widely credited by historians with galvanizing the Solidarity movement that would emerge the following year.
The Order of Malta has no territorial mint and contracts production externally, making attribution of specific striking facilities for its commemorative issues difficult to trace through standard references.