1860
1860-12-01
The first Maltese stamp
The Halfpenny Yellow introduces prepayment for inland mail.
Explore this issue ↗Postal history
A postal journey.
Follow the changes that shaped Maltese postage, with links back to the catalogue.
1885
1885-01-01
One stamp system
Maltese definitives replace British stamps for overseas postage.
Explore this issue ↗1899
1899-02-04
A pictorial turn
Boats, Melita and Saint Paul bring local imagery to definitive stamps.
Explore this issue ↗1901
1901-01-01
The newspaper farthing
A new newspaper rate receives its own Grand Harbour design.
Explore this issue ↗1902
1902-07-04
The One Penny provisional
A local surcharge meets a shortage of penny stamps.
Explore this issue ↗1922
1922-08-01
Melita and Britannia
A new definitive family gives Malta an allegorical identity in the years after self-government.
Explore this issue ↗1925
1925-04-16
Postage dues begin
Ten imperforate provisional labels record unpaid or underpaid postage before permanent Maltese Cross designs follow.
Explore this issue ↗1938
1938-02-17
The islands in miniature
The George VI pictorial definitives present Maltese places and monuments in fifteen original values.
Explore this issue ↗1948
1948-11-25
A constitutional overprint
The SELF-GOVERNMENT 1947 inscription appears on the pictorial definitives in 1948: the inscription’s year and release date are different facts.
Explore this issue ↗1956
1956-01-23
Monuments in print
The Elizabeth II pictorial series begins. Its seventeen original values appear in successive instalments, each with its own release history.
Explore this issue ↗1964
1964-09-21
Independence
Six commemorative stamps mark Malta’s Independence. Explore the issue and the later history-themed definitive series.
Explore this issue ↗1965
1965-01-07
A history in nineteen values
The original nineteen definitive stamps trace periods of Maltese history. Two additional values follow in 1970 and keep their own dates.
Explore this issue ↗1972
1972-05-16
Decimal currency
Decimal coinage enters circulation. The Maltese pound has 100 cents, each divided into 10 mils; stamp denominations must be read in their own currency.
1974
1974-12-13
The Republic
Malta becomes a republic. The constitutional event and the release dates of commemorative stamps are separate facts.
1975
1975-03-31
The Republic on stamps
The Birth of the Republic issue follows on 31 March 1975, separately from the December 1974 proclamation.
Explore this issue ↗1977
1977-03-24
A decimal value on sterling stock
A 1c7 surcharge changes the postage value of a fourpenny stamp from the earlier history series.
Explore this issue ↗1981
1981-10-31
Industry becomes the definitive theme
Sixteen definitive values depict Maltese industries, from older crafts to contemporary production.
Explore this issue ↗1983
1983
A currency gets a new name
The Maltese pound is renamed the Maltese lira. Catalogue records preserve the denominations printed on each stamp.
1989
1989-12-02
A summit at sea
A single 10c stamp marks the Bush–Gorbachev summit hosted in Malta in December 1989.
Explore this issue ↗1991
1991-12-09
Natural and artistic heritage
Twelve definitive stamps connect island landscapes, architecture and sculpture, with each design mapped to its printed denomination.
Explore this issue ↗1993
1993-01-04
A new design for postage dues
Four spiral-design denominations replace the lace-design dues. They record unpaid or underpaid postage and remain separate from ordinary postage stamps.
Explore this issue ↗1998
1998-05-01
MaltaPost begins operating
The new company takes over postal operations from the former Posts Department. Issuer attribution follows the actual transition date.
2006
2006-12-29
Two currencies on one stamp
Five craft designs carry both lira and euro values before the currency change. Each remains one stamp to collect.
Explore this issue ↗2008
2008-01-01
The euro era
The euro replaces the Maltese lira. Explore the later euro-denominated issues documented in this catalogue.
Explore the catalogue ↗2009
2009-12-29
A definitive portrait of Malta
Seventeen values introduce a new heritage-themed definitive series. The later additional values retain their own release dates.
Explore this issue ↗2012
2012-08-10
Eighty-eight vessels remembered
The Operation Pedestal issue commemorates the 1942 convoy through eighty-eight separate vessel designs.
Explore this issue ↗2017
2017-08-14
A new Festa series
Ten Assumption statues introduce a series devoted to Maltese parish celebrations. Each statue is a distinct design with the same printed value.
Explore this issue ↗2021
2021-01-29
Healthcare workers honoured
Three paintings on stamps recognise healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Explore this issue ↗