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Malta has brought to life one of the most recognizable images in world literature: the confrontation between Captain Ahab and the great white whale from Moby-Dick. The new coin, issued by the Central Bank of Malta, features Herman Melville, the gigantic cetacean, and the men attempting to hunt it from a small boat on its reverse.
The issue is dated 2026, the 175th anniversary of the novel's publication. It has a face value of 10 euros, is minted in one ounce of 999 fine silver, features a Proof finish, and is limited to a mintage of only 400 pieces. However, its connection to numismatics extends far beyond this new coin: within Melville's own work, there is another piece that plays a fundamental role.
Melville and his creation share the reverse
Designer Daniela Fusco has avoided turning the coin into a simple commemorative portrait. Herman Melville appears in the foreground, occupying the right side of the composition, but behind him unfolds the scene that made his name universal.
Moby Dick's enormous head rises from the sea and visually dominates the approaching sailors in a whaling boat. One of them raises his harpoon while his companions row through the waves. The size difference between the whale and the vessel conveys the unequal nature of the confrontation and encapsulates one of the novel's central themes: humanity's attempt to overcome a force that surpasses it.
Around the scene appears the inscription "HERMAN MELVILLE MOBY DICK 1851". At the bottom is the face value "10 EURO" and, to the right, the signature "FUSCO" identifies the designer.
The obverse, designed by Noel Galea Bason, features the coat of arms of the Republic of Malta. It is accompanied by the inscription "MALTA 2026" and twelve stars arranged around the edge. The ribbon below the coat of arms reads "REPUBBLIKA TA' MALTA," which translates to "Republic of Malta."
A story born from real experiences
Herman Melville began writing Moby-Dick in 1850, drawing on his own experiences at sea. During his youth, he worked on various ships and even served on the whaling ship Acushnet. This firsthand knowledge of navigation, whaling, and the lives of crew members would ultimately permeate the entire novel.
The work also drew inspiration from two well-known true stories among 19th-century sailors. One was the sinking of the whaling ship Essex in 1820, after being rammed by a sperm whale in the Pacific. The other was the fame of Mocha Dick, a large white sperm whale sighted in waters near Chile's Mocha Island that had survived numerous encounters with whalers.
Melville wove this story around Captain Ahab, maimed by Moby Dick and determined to pursue it across all the oceans. The voyage of the Pequod thus ceased to be an ordinary whaling expedition and became a chase driven by obsession and revenge.
Coin characteristics
Feature Fact
Issuing country Malta
Year 2026
Face value 10 euros
Reason Moby-Dick , by Herman Melville
Metal 999 fine silver
Weight 31.10 g
Diameter 38.61 mm
Quality Proof
Singing Fluted
Design Daniela Fusco and Noel Galea Bason
Mint Royal Netherlands Mint
Print run 400 copies
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