Catalog
1 Thaler Pattern
| Issuer | Italian Eritrea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1918 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 28.06 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A frontally displayed, spread eagle with wings raised and head turned to the left, surmounted by a royal crown with cross finial; the eagle clutches laurel and oak branches in its talons and bears upon its breast the quartered shield of the House of Savoy charged with a cross. The heraldic composition is boldly rendered in high relief against a smooth field, with the circular Latin legend distributed around the full periphery of the coin. |
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| Edge | Lettered |
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| Additional information |
Italy struck this pattern in 1918 as part of an effort to replace the Maria Theresa Thaler, which had dominated Red Sea trade since the 18th century and remained — minted with a perpetual 1780 date — the preferred currency across the Horn of Africa and Arabian Peninsula. The colonial administration in Asmara had long chafed at dependence on an Austrian coin, but local merchants refused substitutes, and no Italian replacement ever achieved acceptance. This piece went nowhere beyond the pattern stage.