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1 Werk - Menelik II Reverse Trial
| Issuer | Ethiopian Empire (Ethiopia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1889 |
| Type | Coin pattern |
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| Obverse description | The reverse trial die depicts the Lion of Judah passant to the right, wearing an imperial crown and holding a cross-topped staff in its right forepaw, rendered in high relief against a plain field. A flowing banner extends diagonally above the lion's back. The design is enclosed within a beaded border, with a Ge'ez legend arranged around the periphery reading in part 'የኢትዮጵያ ዘመነ መንግስት' and the denomination 'ፀወቅ' (Werk) inscribed in the lower exergual area. This side is designated the reverse trial, presenting the principal heraldic device of the Ethiopian imperial coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Ge'ez/Latin |
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| Additional information |
Menelik II became Emperor of Ethiopia in 1889 — the same year he signed the Treaty of Wuchale with Italy, a document whose Amharic and Italian texts carried fatally different meanings regarding Ethiopian sovereignty. This trial piece in pewter dates to that inaugural year, almost certainly produced as the new administration worked to establish a modern coinage for the empire. Pewter was a standard proofer's material for testing dies before committing to silver production runs.
The Wuchale dispute ultimately led to the Battle of Adwa in 1896, where Ethiopian forces decisively defeated the Italian army — but that outcome was still seven years away when these dies were being struck.