A solid silver medallion with an image of St Paul engraved on it will be given to Pope Benedict XVI by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi tomorrow.

Coin and medal engraver Noel Galea Bason said the bas relief being presented to the Pontiff was largely modelled on Melchiorre Cafà's statue of St Paul.

The medallion would be mounted on a frame, said Mr Galea Bason, who trained at the State Mint in Rome.

A legend in Latin reads Sanctus Paulus Apostolus Doctor Gentium Atque Per Evangelium Melitensium Pater (Saint Paul Apostle Universal Preacher and Father of The Maltese Through The Gospel) and the dedication on the plaque points out that the gift was from "the government and people of Malta".

Mr Galea Bason said it was "an honour" to work on a piece of art for the Pope, adding he had worked on gifts for Pope John Paul II and the Queen in the past. He also made the bronze relief monument marking Pope John Paul II's first visit to Malta in 1990.

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