Malta 10 Euro 2019 The Suez Canal

The Suez Canal (Qanâ el Suweis) with its length of 193.3 kilometres is one of the largest canals in the world. The canal was opened 150 years ago, in 1869, but the origins of the Suez Canal go back much further. It was Darius the Great who in 495 BC (now known as BCE) began by digging a channel between the Nile and the Red Sea. More than 1.5 million workers worked on this channel at the time. In 1859 a start was made on digging the Suez Canal - the connection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. In some places the canal has a depth of no less than 24 metres! Every year around 18,000 ships sail through the Suez Canal - the sailing time is between 10 and 17 hours. To commemorate the fact that the Suez Canal was opened 150 years ago Malta has decided to issue a 10 Euro coin. On the face of the coin three steamboats are depicted sailing on the Suez Canal. In an arc at the bottom of the coin is the text 'THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SUEZ CANAL'. At the top of the coin, also in an arc, are the dates 1869 and 2019. The value indication of 10 Euro is shown at the bottom right. The reverse of the coin shows the coat of arms of Malta together with the country name 'Malta' and the year 2019. The coin is presented in a luxury package and is supplied complete with a certificate.