D'Amato Records in Valletta has a sign hanging above its door once more after a replica of the original one was put up on Tuesday morning.

The former sign, an iconic perspex HMV design thought to be the oldest in the world was damaged in July by a crane.

It was removed for restoration and the record shop which styles itself as the oldest in the world has been without a sign since.

But that all changed on Tuesday when a replica sign took its place much to the happiness of the shop's co-owner Anthony D'Amato.

"For us, it's not just a sign; it's part of our journey. It's been here for over 60 years, placed by my grandfather and it feels so much better having it back home," he said.

"A lot of people told us they had lost their bearings after the old sign was taken down - they kept coming into the shop telling us they used to use it as a waypoint."

Like the original, the new sign is made out of perspex and sports an identical design.

The sign now showing on St John Street offers viewers a glimpse into the past, featuring the original colours vibrant and undimmed by years of weathering.

The damaged original.

D'amato explained that the sign's creator, Skyline Plastic Works, had liaised with Prevarti, the company restoring the original to ensure it was identical.

But, unlike its predecessor, the interior of the new model has been brought up to date, featuring LED lighting in place of the original neon tube bulbs.

The lighting change also means the new model weighs less than the original while retaining the same dimensions.

And with the bulbs having stopped working in the original years ago, this evening will mark the first time in decades the sign outside the shop has been lit up.

"It will be the first time since the mid-sixties it will have been illuminated... We're hopefully going to have it illuminated for a long time to come," said D'Amato.

While a copy of the original, the new sign sports vibrant colours undimmed by the passage of time. Photo: Jonathan Borg.

The new sign cost €5,000, with work beginning in July. And while the record shop has had to front the costs, D'Amato hopes to recoup the money from the contractor who damaged the original.

He said the police have filed charges against the contractor, who is due to be arraigned next week, D'Amato said.

"I hope justice will prevail and serve as a beacon of justice in our country," he said.

Stressing the "huge support" the shop had received from the police, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage - who supervised the original sign being removed - the local council and "particularly the public", D'Amato said, "sometimes these things have to happen before you realise what something means to people."

And although the replica will occupy the place of the original on the street, it cannot take its place in the hearts of its owners, and, once restored, the former sign will find a new home inside the store.

"It took a long time to clean because of the age and weathering and we're expecting it to be inside the shop by the end of the year or just after," said the record shop owner.

While visitors to Valletta will no doubt be pleased to see this latest addition to St John Street, the sign's appearance serves as a reminder of the dangers posed to heritage property as the capital continues to be developed

In June, a red British-era phone box was destroyed after a delivery truck reversed into it.

Meanwhile, last year, concerns were raised about Valletta's status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site being at risk from mass tourism and major development projects.