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1/2 Birr - Haile Selassie I Pattern
| Issuer | Ethiopia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1929 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Birr / Thaler (የብር፡አሳጽ) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Haile Selassie I facing left, wearing an ornate imperial crown surmounted by a cross and richly decorated robes adorned with elaborate embroidery, a cross pendant visible at the chest. Ge'ez lettering flanks the effigy to the left and right, with an additional inscription along the lower portion of the field. The portrait is rendered in high relief with fine engraving detail, set within a plain inner field and a beaded border. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The crowned Lion of Judah passant facing right, holding an upright staff bearing a banner, rendered in high relief against a plain field. A circular Ge'ez legend encircles the design along the upper periphery, reading the royal title of the Emperor of Ethiopia, while a shorter inscription in Ge'ez appears in the lower exergue. The lion is depicted with a full mane and regal bearing, symbolizing the imperial dynasty, all within a beaded border. |
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| Additional information |
This pattern was struck in 1929 as Ethiopia explored coinage reform under the newly empowered Ras Tafari Makonnen, who would not be crowned Emperor Haile Selassie I until November 1930. The timing places this piece squarely in a transitional period — Ras Tafari had been regent since 1916 and was consolidating authority, but the old empress Zauditu still nominally reigned. Pattern issues from this window are exceptionally scarce, produced in tiny quantities for official evaluation rather than circulation.