Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
1/2 Werk - Menelik II Obverse Trial
| Issuer | Ethiopian Empire (Ethiopia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1897 |
| Type | Coin pattern |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Ge'ez (Ethiopic) |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
This piece dates to the monetary reform Menelik II initiated following his crushing defeat of the Italian army at Adwa in March 1896 — a victory that secured Ethiopian independence and gave the emperor both the political capital and the international credibility to establish a modern coinage system. The trial was struck in pewter, a common proofing material for assessing die quality before committing to silver production runs.
The 1/2 Werk denomination never entered regular circulation. The obverse die used here may differ subtly from the finalized issue, which is precisely why trial pieces of this type retain documentary value beyond their rarity alone.