Catalog
1 Birr - Menelik II Pattern
| Issuer | Ethiopian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1897 |
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| Reference(s) | KM#Pn5 |
| Obverse description | Right-facing crowned bust of Emperor Menelik II, wearing an ornate imperial crown and traditional robes, rendered in high relief in the manner of European portrait coinage. The effigy displays a full beard and strong profile characteristic of official imperial portraiture. A circular Ge'ez legend surrounds the bust, reading the full imperial titulature of the Emperor. The word 'ETHIOPIA' appears in Ge'ez script at the base, below the truncation. The overall composition reflects the work of French engraver Jean Lagrange, blending Ethiopian iconography with Western medallic tradition. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The Lion of Judah passant, facing left and wearing an imperial crown, occupies the central field. The lion carries a processional cross on a staff in its right forepaw, a traditional symbol of Ethiopian imperial authority. The figure is rendered in strong relief against a plain field, with detailed mane and muscular anatomy consistent with Lagrange's medallic style. A circular Ge'ez legend surrounds the lion along the periphery. The denomination 'አንድ፡ብር' (One Birr) appears in the exergue below the lion. |
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| Additional information |
The 1897 Birr patterns for Menelik II were struck almost certainly in anticipation of the Emperor's dramatically elevated international standing following the Battle of Adwa in March of that year — the decisive Ethiopian victory over Italian forces that shocked European colonial powers and forced Italy to recognize Ethiopian sovereignty in the Treaty of Addis Ababa. A gold pattern of this weight would have served dynastic ambition as much as monetary planning, projecting the image of a modern sovereign state to a skeptical European audience.
No gold Birr ever entered regular circulation. The pattern remains one of very few physical artifacts connecting Adwa's political aftermath to Menelik's coinage program.