Catalog
1 Birr - Haile Selassie I Pattern
| Issuer | Ethiopia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1931 |
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| Value | 1 Birr / Thaler (አንድ፡ብር) |
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| Obverse description | Right-facing draped bust of Emperor Haile Selassie I, wearing an ornate imperial crown surmounted by a cross finial and an elaborately embroidered ceremonial collar bearing cross motifs. The effigy is rendered in high relief with fine detail to the beard and imperial regalia. A circular Ge'ez legend surrounds the portrait along the periphery, separated from the inner field by a beaded border. The overall composition reflects a formal imperial portrait style consistent with early 20th-century European die-engraving conventions adapted for Ethiopian coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Ge'ez (Ethiopic) |
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| Additional information |
This 1931 pattern was struck as Ethiopia sought to modernize its monetary system ahead of the full 1931 constitution, which formally codified imperial authority under Haile Selassie following his coronation in November 1930. Patterns from this period were produced in limited quantities — largely for official presentation and approval purposes — and were never released into circulation.
The distinction between approved patterns and rejected trials from this issue remains contested among specialists, as documentation from the imperial mint is fragmentary.