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1 Birr / Ethiopian Dollar
| Issuer | State Bank of Ethiopia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1945-1956 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | የኢትዮጵያ፡መንግስት፡ባንክ፡ አንድ፡የኢትዮጵያ፡ብር፡ ላምጪው፡አንዴከፈል፡ሕግ፡ያሰገዽዷል። State Bank of Ethiopia One Ethiopian Dollar Security Banknote Company (Translation: State Bank of Ethiopia One Ethiopian Birr Payable to the Bearer on Demand) |
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| Variants | P#12a - signature: Blowers P#12b - signature: Bennett P#12c - signature: Rozell |
| Comments |
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.