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1/2 Werk - Menelik II Reverse Trial
| Issuer | Ethiopian Empire (Ethiopia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1889 |
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| Currency | Birr / Thaler (1893-1931) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Geʼez |
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| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely blank and unfinished, consistent with a reverse trial piece struck to test the obverse die only. The planchet surface exhibits an irregular, unworked texture with no design, legend, or devices of any kind, confirming the experimental nature of this striking. |
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| Additional information |
This is a reverse trial piece for the 1/2 Werk coinage issued under Menelik II, who was crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in November 1889 — the same year he signed the Treaty of Wuchale with Italy, a document whose Amharic and Italian versions would be interpreted so differently that they triggered the First Italo-Ethiopian War six years later. Trial strikes in pewter were a standard proofing method for the Paris Mint, which handled Ethiopian coinage during this period, allowing die alignment and relief depth to be assessed before committing to silver production.