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1 Birr - Menelik II Obverse Trial
| Issuer | Paris Mint (Monnaie de Paris) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1896 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Round |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Ge'ez (Ethiopic) |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
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| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The 1896 Birr patterns were produced at the Paris Mint as part of the contract negotiations following Ethiopia's decisive victory over Italian forces at Adwa in March of that year. Menelik II's government sought to establish a modern national coinage, and the Monnaie de Paris submitted multiple trial strikes in different metals to demonstrate finish and relief quality before final production commenced. White metal trials like this one were standard workshop practice — cheap to strike, easy to assess, and never intended for circulation.
The confirmed production contract ultimately yielded the silver Birr struck from 1897 onward, with Paris handling the bulk of early output.