1 Werk - Menelik II Reverse Trial

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.