This coin belongs to the proof series issued to mark the 80th birthday of Emperor Haile Selassie I, struck in 1972 by the British Royal Mint on behalf of the Ethiopian Imperial government. It was one of the last prestige issues of the regime — Selassie was deposed in September 1974 by the Derg, the military council that abolished the monarchy and eventually had him killed under house arrest the following year.
The series saw limited international distribution through Franklin Mint-affiliated channels, which accounts for its appearance in collections well outside East Africa.
This coin belongs to the proof series issued to mark the 80th birthday of Emperor Haile Selassie I, struck in 1972 by the British Royal Mint on behalf of the Ethiopian Imperial government. It was one of the last prestige issues of the regime — Selassie was deposed in September 1974 by the Derg, the military council that abolished the monarchy and eventually had him killed under house arrest the following year.
The series saw limited international distribution through Franklin Mint-affiliated channels, which accounts for its appearance in collections well outside East Africa.