1 Birr / Ethiopian Dollar

Ethiopia's return to paper currency after the Italian occupation created an awkward institutional reality: the State Bank of Ethiopia, established in 1942 with assistance from the United States, was simultaneously the country's central bank and commercial bank — an arrangement that persisted until 1963. These notes circulated during that unusual dual-function period, when the same institution managed imperial reserves and extended credit to private traders.

Three signature combinations are recorded for this series, reflecting staff turnover across what was a fourteen-year print run. The Security Banknote Company of Philadelphia, better known for US revenue stamps and fiscal paper, handled relatively few foreign currency contracts — Ethiopia was among their more unusual commissions.