20 Liri Freshwater Crab

Malta's 20 Liri gold series of 1975 was part of a broader program tied to the country's newly declared republic status, established in December 1974 when Malta severed its last constitutional ties to the British Crown. The Central Bank issued these pieces partly as collectibles for the international market and partly to generate hard currency — a pressing concern for a small island nation with limited export revenue in that decade.

The freshwater crab variety is the scarcest of the 1975 wildlife issues by documented mintage figures.