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1 Birr - Menelik II Obverse Trial
| Issuer | Ethiopian Empire (Ethiopia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1898 |
| Type | Coin pattern |
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| Obverse description | Right-facing draped bust of Emperor Menelik II, wearing an ornate imperial crown adorned with intricate filigree and beaded necklaces visible at the truncation. A circular Ge'ez legend surrounds the effigy within a beaded border, with the Ethiopian regnal date rendered in Ethiopic numerals in the lower exergue. The portrait is rendered in high relief with fine detail to the beard and facial features, in a style characteristic of late 19th-century European die engraving. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | ዳግማዊ፡ምኒልክ፡ንጉሠ፡ነገሥት፡ዘኢትዮጵያ |
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| Additional information |
This is a trial piece for the Birr coinage authorized under Menelik II following his decisive defeat of the Italian army at Adwa in 1896 — a victory that forced Italy to recognize Ethiopian sovereignty and transformed Menelik into a figure of pan-African significance. The Paris Mint (Monnaie de Paris) struck the standard silver Birr series beginning in 1897, but bronze trials were produced to test die quality and striking parameters before committing to the silver production run.
Bronze off-metal trials from this series are rare survivors of the production approval process and were never released for circulation.