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1 Birr - Menelik II Pattern
| Issuer | Ethiopia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1892 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Birr / Thaler (አንድ፡ብር) |
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| 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 |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The crowned Lion of Judah passant to the left, its raised right forepaw resting on a staff bearing a cross and a flowing banner. The lion stands on a ground line with the date inscribed below in Ethiopic numerals. A circular Ge'ez legend surrounds the central device, and the entire design is enclosed within a beaded border. The composition follows the traditional Imperial Ethiopian iconographic convention of the conquering lion as symbol of the ruling dynasty. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
This is a pattern strike, never approved for circulation — Menelik II was simultaneously negotiating with both French and Swiss minting interests in the early 1890s, and several competing designs were submitted for evaluation before the silver birr coinage was finalized. The Paris Mint ultimately won the contract. Bronze was the obvious choice for a pattern of this weight: cheap to strike, easy to inspect for die quality, and expendable.
1892 corresponds to Ethiopian year 1884 under the Ge'ez calendar, a detail that occasionally creates confusion in attribution.