Coins of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta: History, Denominations and Collector Value

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) – officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta – is a unique sovereign subject of international law. Although it is not a state, the Order has its own government, elected Grand Master and even its own monetary system. In addition to postage stamps, the Order also issues its own collector coins, which are highly sought after by numismatists.

If you are interested in SMOM coins, explore our selection:
👉 Order of Malta Coins – Category
👉 Order of Malta – Articles and Information

Traditional Denominations of SMOM Coins

The Order uses a historical monetary system that fascinates collectors:

• 1 scudo = 12 tari = 240 grani
• 1 scudo ≈ 0.24 EUR
• 1 tari ≈ 0.02 EUR
• 1 grani ≈ 0.001 EUR

These coins are not intended for everyday circulation. They are issued as collector and ceremonial pieces in limited quantities.

Materials and Motifs

SMOM coins are struck in gold, silver or bronze. The most common motifs include:

• the portrait of the Grand Master,
• Saint John the Baptist – the patron of the Order,
• Order heraldry and symbols,
• commemorative or thematic designs.

In public communication, the Order often uses the abbreviation S.M.O.M. (Sovrano Militare Ordine di Malta).

Examples of SMOM Coins

Fig. 1: Official coin set issued by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

Fig. 2: Silver coins issued by the Order of Malta in 2020, denominations 1 and 2 scudi.

Collector Value and Availability

SMOM coins are issued in small mintages, which makes them attractive to collectors. Their value depends on:

• the metal (gold, silver, bronze),
• the mintage,
• the condition of the coin,
• the motif and year of issue.

Explore our current selection of SMOM coins:
👉 Order of Malta Coins – Available Items

Photographs used in this article – private collection of the author.