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1 Birr - Menelik II Pattern
| Issuer | Ethiopian Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1897 |
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| Composition | Gold (.900) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Ge'ez |
| Obverse lettering | ዳግማዊ፡ምኒልክ፡ ንጉሠ ፡ ነገሥት ፡ ዘኢትዮጵያ። (Translation: His Imperial Majesty Menelik, King of Kings of Ethiopia) |
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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.