The Sovereign Military Order of Malta issues its own coinage under a recognized sovereignty acknowledged by over 100 states, despite controlling no territory — a legal anomaly rooted in the Order's status as a subject of international law since its expulsion from Malta by Napoleon in 1798. Andrew Bertie, the 78th Grand Master, was the first Briton to hold that office in the modern era, elected in 1988 and serving until his death in 2008. SMOM coins are legal tender in theory but produced in such limited quantities that none ever approach circulation.
The Sovereign Military Order of Malta issues its own coinage under a recognized sovereignty acknowledged by over 100 states, despite controlling no territory — a legal anomaly rooted in the Order's status as a subject of international law since its expulsion from Malta by Napoleon in 1798. Andrew Bertie, the 78th Grand Master, was the first Briton to hold that office in the modern era, elected in 1988 and serving until his death in 2008. SMOM coins are legal tender in theory but produced in such limited quantities that none ever approach circulation.