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1 Werk - Menelik II Obverse Trial
| Issuer | Ethiopian Empire (Ethiopia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1897 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Right-facing draped bust of Emperor Menelik II wearing an elaborately decorated imperial crown, framed on either side by laurel branches meeting at the base. A Ge'ez legend arcs around the upper and lateral fields, with the date inscription in Ge'ez numerals displayed in the exergue below the bust. The portrait is rendered in high relief within a beaded border, reflecting the engraving style characteristic of late 19th-century European-produced Ethiopian coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Ge'ez (Ethiopic) |
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| Additional information |
This pewter trial piece relates to the currency reform Menelik II pursued following his decisive victory over Italy at the Battle of Adwa in March 1896 — a victory that secured Ethiopian sovereignty and gave the emperor both the political confidence and international standing to establish a modern national coinage. The Werk denomination, pegged to gold, was part of that ambitious monetary reorganization, with dies prepared in Paris by the Monnaie de Paris.
Trial strikes in pewter were a standard Monnaie de Paris proofing method, used to test die quality before committing to the intended metal. Surviving obverse trials of this type are extremely rare outside institutional collections.