5 Euros Great Siege of Malta in 1565

The Great Siege of 1565 pitted an Ottoman force estimated at 40,000 men against fewer than 700 Knights of St. John and roughly 8,000 Maltese soldiers and civilians. The Knights held, but barely — Fort St. Elmo fell in June after weeks of savage fighting, and its defenders were killed to the last man. Suleiman the Magnificent died the following year without ever retaking the island he had prioritized above nearly every other campaign of his reign.

Malta has issued multiple commemoratives tied to this siege over the decades; the 2022 piece falls within an ongoing silver bullion-adjacent program the Central Bank has maintained since the country joined the eurozone in 2008, striking collector issues in denominations that have no circulation equivalent.