Melita issue

They were commemorative stamps since they celebrated the islands' new status as a self-governing colony following a new constitution in 1921, but also a definitive issue intended for regular use over an extended period of time.

The figure of Melita seems to have developed from allegorical representations of the Order of St John, which ruled Malta between 1530 and 1798.

The former included a bicameral legislature with a Senate and Legislative Assembly, while the Imperial Government was led by the Governor of Malta, a British colonial official who retained direct responsibility of certain reserved matters such as defence and maintaining public order.

[5][6] On 17 June 1921, a competition was announced calling for the design of a set of stamps to commemorate Malta's partial independence.

There was not enough time for the stamps to be produced and delivered within that timeframe, however, since the printers De La Rue had to deal with a large workload, causing delays.

The Malta Post Office therefore decided to overprint the then-current definitives (which depicted King George V and some pictorial scenes, including the 1919 reprint of the 1899 Melita design) with the words "SELF-GOVERNMENT" diagonally to commemorate the new constitution.

[5] The overprinting was carried out by the Government Printing Office in the capital Valletta, and the stamps were released between 12 January and 29 April 1922.

[5] Caruana Dingli's design depicts Melita as a robed and helmeted figure holding a rudder, representing Malta as being in control of her own destiny.

Shields depicting the Union Jack and a colonial badge representing Malta are located at the bottom of the design.

[4] The stamps of the Melita issue were printed by De La Rue using typography, with the exception of the £1 top value which was recess-printed.

A wide range of versions of these exist, either perforated or imperforate, on unwatermarked or watermarked paper, and with or without a specimen overprint.

Specimens of all the stamps in the issued colours also exist, except for the reprints made in slightly different shades, the 1925 2½d on 3d surcharge, and the 1926 postage overprints.

[3] A requirement for a 2½d value arose in 1925 when the foreign-letter rate was reduced;[14] stocks of the 3d were overprinted "Two pence halfpenny" by the Government Printing Office and were issued on 3 December 1925.

[3] The overprint was reportedly also applied to a small quantity of the £1 stamp, but these were never issued and a decision was made to destroy the stock.

It is believed that only two sheets of the error were printed, and they were allegedly acquired on the first day of issue by politician Alfredo Caruana Gatto, then a Senator and a former Minister for Justice.

The matter was brought up in the Legislative Assembly on 31 March 1930 when Constitutional Party member Alfred Gera De Petri asked Robert Hamilton, the Minister for Posts, about the circumstances of the stamp's issue.

A committee was later appointed to investigate the matter, and it included Gerald Strickland, Hamilton, Walter Salomone, Paul Boffa and Ugo Pasquale Mifsud.

Boffa mentioned that the overprinting might have even been done outside the Government Printing Office, while Mifsud only agreed with the conclusion that there was no evidence of Caruana Gatto's involvement in the matter.

There were gaps in the evidence collected by the committee, and it did not produce any arguments which countered various opinions that the overprints were the result of a genuine mistake, making its findings inconclusive.

Even Caruana Dingli was dissatisfied with the way the stamps were printed, stating in the local newspaper Il Popolo di Malta on 4 August 1922 that:[9] After correcting the first proofs and suggesting certain artistic retouching, I regret to say, that the result still fell short of my expectations.

[9] An article in The Boy's Own Paper described the issue as a "handsome set", but also mentioned the criticism aimed at the colour scheme of the 4d value in yellow and blue.

[14] In contrast to when it was issued, today Caruana Dingli's design is held in high esteem, and in 2011 MaltaPost stated that "it is widely considered to be one of Malta's most beautiful stamps.

"[25] Due to the criticism at the colour scheme of the 4d value, that stamp was reportedly withdrawn by the postal authorities soon after it was issued.

The design by Emvin Cremona depicts Melita holding a spear and a shield with Malta's 1943–64 coat of arms (including the George Cross), and she is shown sitting among ruins as if after a battle.

[3][29] An allegorical figure with a pose similar to Caruana Dingli's Melita design was used on the fifth and final series of Maltese lira banknotes.

[31][32] On 2 December 2011, MaltaPost issued a miniature sheet containing a €4.16 stamp to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the establishment of Malta's Senate and Legislative Assembly.