Catalog
500 Birr / Ethiopian Dollars
| Issuer | State Bank of Ethiopia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1945-1956 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Portrait of Emperor Haile Selassie I at left, with a central vignette of the Holy Trinity Church in Addis Ababa, all set against an intricate guilloche underprint. Bilingual inscriptions in Amharic and English appear above and below the central design, with the denomination stated in both scripts. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | የኢትዮጵያ፡መንግስት፡ባንክ፡ አምስት፡መቶ፡የኢትዮጵያ፡ብር፡ ላምጪው፡አንዴከፈል፡ሕግ፡ያሰገዽዷል። STATE BANK OF ETHIOPIA FIVE HUNDRED ETHIOPIAN DOLLARS (Translation: State Bank of Ethiopia Five Hundred Ethiopian Birr Payable to the Bearer on Demand) |
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| Comments |
The State Bank of Ethiopia was established in 1942 to replace the Bank of Ethiopia, which had been liquidated under Italian occupation. This note belongs to the bank's first full series of domestic currency following the restoration of Haile Selassie's government after the liberation from Italian forces — a period when Ethiopia was simultaneously rebuilding financial institutions and navigating tight monetary arrangements with Britain.
Security Banknote Company of Philadelphia produced the series, though their attribution here carries a question mark that collectors should treat seriously. Three different signature combinations appear across the P#17 series, reflecting staff turnover at the bank's senior levels over the eleven-year issue window.