On the centenary of the end of World War I the Central Bank of Malta and MaltaPost will be issuing a ‘Philatelic Numismatic Cover' (PNC) consisting of a €5 coin and a €2 postage stamp. The issue date coincides with the actual day and month of the end of the War, as it was on the 11th November 1918 that the Armistice was signed between the Allies and Germany.

On its obverse the coin features a nurse assisting a wounded soldier, while the reverse carries the emblem of Malta. The postage stamp depicts the hospital ship ‘HMHS Rewa' in the Grand Harbour. The vessel was sunk by a German U-55 submarine on 4 January 1918, while on its journey from Malta to Britain. World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. It led to the mobilisation of more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, making it one of the biggest wars in history. An estimated nine million servicemen and seven million civilians died as a direct result of the War, while also considered a contributory factor to a number of genocides and epidemics which caused between 50 and 100 million deaths worldwide.

The coin and stamp will be included in a purposely designed postal cover and the issue is limited to 2,500 covers, which will bear a special cancellation mark of the first day of issue. This will be the first official PNC cover to be jointly issued by MaltaPost and the Central Bank of Malta.

Orders may be made on the first day of issue from the MaltaPost Office at Castille Square, Valletta, online from the Philatelic Bureau at www.maltaphilately.com and the Malta Coin Centre (MCC) at www.maltacoincentre.com or by mail from the Philatelic Bureau, MaltaPost p.l.c. 305, Qormi Road, Marsa, MTP 1001. The price for each cover is €10 inclusive of VAT.