The renowned numismatist and artist Noel Galea Bason has suddenly passed away. He was 71. Galea Bason was a unique artist, working in bronze and was particularly well known for his skills as a numismatist having designed several coins over the years.
Galea Bason was a lifelong resident of Floriana having been born there in February 1955. He contributed to the locality in several areas with his studio also located in the town. He died suddenly in the same studio at Bishop Caruana Street on Thursday evening.
He was commissioned by several Presidents of the Republic of Malta to create artworks presented as official gifts to international dignitaries. These include works gifted to Queen Elizabeth II in 1992 and to Pope John Paul II in 1999. The presentation to the Pope consisted of two silver bas-reliefs depicting St Paul and St Publius — symbolic works with deep significance for Maltese identity.
Among his many works is the bust of Vincenzo Dimech, placed in St Publius Street and unveiled in 1982. He also designed a series of commemorative silver coins issued by the Central Bank of Malta in 2004, featuring notable historical figures such as Giuseppe Calì, Enrico Mizzi, and Sir Adriano Dingli.
Noel Galea Bason was also the designer behind the national sides of Malta’s euro coins, introduced in 2008. The selection process for these designs involved a two-phase public consultation in 2006, during which the Maltese public was invited to vote on proposed themes and designs. The final choices were ultimately designed by Galea Bason.
One of his most prominent works includes the monuments of former Prime Minister and Labour Party leader Dom Mintoff, located in Cospicua and in Castille Square. The Cospicua monument was created after he won a national competition involving 17 competing artists.
In 2013, he also designed eight Maltese Euro coins issued by the Central Bank of Malta, contributing further to the preservation and celebration of Malta’s artistic and national heritage.
Noel Galea Bason was Malta’s leading engraver-designer, with a career in the field spanning four decades. A graduate of the prestigious Scuola dell’Arte della Medaglia in Rome, he became the first Maltese artist ever to design a national coin in 1977 and served as the sole engraver at the Malta Mint until 1991.
From then on, Galea Bason created more than 120 coins and numerous medals, commemorating key moments in Malta’s history and receiving notable international commissions. His work included commemorative coins marking the anniversaries of independence and the republic, as well as official gifts from the Maltese state to figures such as Queen Elizabeth II, Pope John Paul II (now Saint John Paul II), and King Juan Carlos of Spain.
Despite moving within the highest circles of the art world and public life, he remained humble to the end, and his world continued to revolve around his hometown of Floriana. At one time or another during his work, he could often be found in a café or at the local football club, speaking with everyone without distinction. I was fortunate enough to meet him there on several occasions where we talked about and discussed diverse subjects.
Rest in Peace Noel.
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