Native Species – The Maltese Ox

At the centre: a Maltese ox standing in a field. Along the upper edge: the inscription "IL-GENDUS MALTI"; along the lower edge: the issuing state "MALTA" and the year "2025". The designer Maria Anna Frisone's initials "MAF" appear at the lower right.

The Maltese ox, known in Maltese as Gendus Malti, is one of the oldest and rarest cattle breeds in Europe. Its origins reach far back — historians believe the breed has been native to the Maltese islands since antiquity, developing there over centuries largely isolated from continental European influences. With its distinctive grey-white coat and sturdy build, the Gendus Malti was for generations the most important working animal in Maltese agriculture: it pulled ploughs across the rocky fields of Gozo and Malta and was thus an indispensable part of everyday farming life on the archipelago.

Today the Maltese ox is considered highly endangered. Mechanization and the decline of traditional farming caused its numbers to fall dramatically in the 20th century, pushing the breed to the brink of extinction. Maltese authorities and breeders' organizations have since run targeted conservation breeding programs to safeguard the genetic heritage of the Gendus Malti. Its status as a native species with deep-rooted cultural and historical significance makes it a symbol of Malta's agricultural identity. With the 2025 2-euro commemorative coin from the Native Species series, Malta sends a further signal in support of protecting endangered indigenous animal breeds.