Recent Coinage Developments in Ethiopia

Transcription

1 Coins of ETHIOPIA Recent Coinage Developments in Ethiopia A quick look in the "Standard Catalog of World Coins" (Krause Publications) shows that the latest circulation coins of Ethiopia are denominated 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 Cents, were perhaps all made in 1977 and are dated "1969". This date on the coins refers to the Ethiopian Calendar (E.C.) which is 7 years and 8 months behind ours. The dates on these pieces are in traditional Ethiopian numerals which are quite different to any numerals appearing on modern coinages of the rest of the world. However there is no need for a collector how to learn to read the numbers on the coins of this series as they always have this same date, even though they have been issued more or less continuously since 1969 E.C. (These coins, therefore, have what is known as a "frozen" date). Any collector who did learn how to read all of the numerals, as used throughout the Ethiopian series of the last hundred years or so, will know more about these numerals than the average Ethiopian. These numerals have little other everyday use in Ethiopia except in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. This is a little like how Great Britain (as a main example) still uses Latin words (or abbreviations of such words) e.g. "D.G. REG. F.D." on their general coinage issues. Few members of the general public here know much about the meanings of these "traditional" legends. The common obverse and the reverses of all five pieces of the 1969 E.C. dated series were designed by an Australian named Stuart Devlin. The piece above is the 50 Cents. These days even Ethiopia's 50 Cents coin is worth very little, in fact, around 6 U.S. Cents. New coins of all five denominations can still be found in change but are only much use to those with very little money. Due to their tiny value the 1 Cent coins are about the hardest of the five denominations to find in change - quite a contrast to the 1 Penny piece in Great Britain which is the smallest and about the most abundant denomination here. Ethiopian coins are supplied into circulation by the National Bank of Ethiopia. It would rather seem that the original source used by the National Bank of Ethiopia for these coins was the British Royal Mint (Stuart Devlin having done work for them on several occasions). Furthermore, in addition to the British Royal Mint, the German

2 published world coin catalogue "Weltmünzkatalog" (by Günter Schön, 20th Century issues edition of 1996/97, published by Battenberg) lists the mint in Berlin as another minter of these circulation coins. For now I can only assume that the British Royal Mint minted issues are identical to those minted in Berlin, I have nothing to suggest otherwise. From sources in Ethiopia I have been told that for a few years the coins were made in Ethiopia using British made blanks. I was told that coins of this series were made by "Ethiopia Mint", approximately from 1977 E.C. to 1985 E.C. "Ethiopia Mint" still exists to this day, it is part of and is located next to the National Bank of Ethiopia, in the capital Addis Ababa. The mint is still home to the presses that were delivered for its original setting up. Some other, earlier coinages were struck in Ethiopia, but even the most recent of those was in the earlier part of the twentieth century. I have no idea of what might remain of those earlier minting facilities. The most recent development in the supply of coins to Ethiopia is that a new minter has apparently been used in the last year or so, as a source of Ethiopia s five circulation coinage types. Evidence points to the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) as this new source. So what is this evidence? Firstly, in June 2001, I read a new press release from the RCM where they listed Ethiopia as a client country of their s. Some time later, in January 2002, a collector from Canada reported (via the internet newsgroup rec.collecting.coins) that he had seen bulk Ethiopian coins during a recent trip of his to the RCM s production facility in Winnipeg. This evidence suggested to me that I ought to get hold of some newly issued coins direct from circulation in Ethiopia. This would enable me to check them for design changes either large or small. I managed to get a set of such coins in April I received one piece of each denomination plus a second piece of the 1 Cent type. This acquisition direct from Africa proved worthwhile. The date area as on older (upper) and newer (lower) coins of 5 Cents through 50 Cents.

3 The lion s mane behind the ear as on older (upper) and newer (lower). The Nyala s tail on the older (right) and the newer (far right) 10 Cent coins. The general designs and the dates on these newer coins were the same as on older examples I had of types KM-43.1 through KM However I could see slight design changes in these newer pieces. Comparing my newer and older examples I noticed variations in the reverses. These differences were mostly rather slight and difficult to describe, one main exception being with the Nyala on the 10 Cents where the newer variety has larger/bulging eyes, a different tail profile and a tail of one less strand than on the older pieces. As for the obverses, all of my older pieces are the same e.g. they have the exact same arrangement of hair tips around the date, below the lion s chin and the same mane profile on the lion. The newer pieces include a slightly larger lion portrait, the hair tips versus date arrangement are different, the mane profile is different and there are a few lesser changes. The exact same obverse design is evident on all of my newer pieces (1 Cent through 50 Cents) except on my second new example of the 1 Cent piece, it features a third date/hairs arrangement and apparently the "old" mane profile (this different die is just a hint towards the use of yet another mint). Note: The proof versions of the coins of this series (types KM-43.2 through KM- 47.2) feature very slightly differently sized designs (sufficiently different for the SCWC to have given them separate sub-type numbers) and were made by the Franklin Mint (mintmark - stylised "F" over "M"). The dies used for these pieces are not an exact match for any of the other varieties. Issued in sets, these coins were made just for the worldwide collector market. I see no need to say anymore about these, especially since they do not exactly count as circulation sub-types. An Unlisted Silver Proof Type

4 I do not collect silver proof coins, but for those who do, there are very many to be collected for Africa - even if you were to ignore the abundance of types produced near exclusively for the collectors in North American and Europe. So it seems only fair that this area of African numismatic material gets a mention somewhere on this site. This Ethiopian Silver proof coin is by no means a new issue but for some reason it remains unlisted in the "Standard Catalog of World Coins" (Krause Publications), even the 31st Edition (SCWC2004) is without it. Other Silver proof and Gold proof coins of Ethiopia all seem to all have at least a slightly international theme e.g. "World Football 1982" and "U.N. Decade for Women". Perhaps this unlisted piece has remained so for such a long time because of its theme having minimal appeal/significance to the western world. Ethiopia Silver Proof 50 Birr marking the Founding Congress of W.P.E. & 10th Anniversary of the Revolution. (Image thanks to Lauri Palmu) This coin commemorates and is inscribed the "FOUNDING CONGRESS OF W.P.E. & 10TH ANIVERSARY OF THE REVOLUTION". This occasion was in the later

5 part of 1984 A.D. which was early in EE1977. "W.P.E." here stands for "Workers' Party of Ethiopia" - this was Ethiopia's official single party during its time as "Socialist Ethiopia". The W.P.E. was founded exactly ten years after the revolution of September 12th 1974 that saw Emperor Haile Selassie deposed. So the two occasions marked by the coin were on the same day and both of particular significance to Ethiopia. Outside of Ethiopia, this piece is not instantly recognisable as a coin, a denomination is not immediately apparent. The denomination appears only in Amharic, it is located above the lion's head on the obverse and is written as "HAMSA BIR" meaning 50 Birr. The Ethiopian Era date in Ethiopian numerals appears below the lion's head. The coin is 38mm in diameter and has a milled edge. Further Coinage Developments in Ethiopia Two years on from my first page for Ethiopia entitled Recent Coinage Developments in Ethiopia, here is an update. There are two mains bits of news. Previously I mentioned a new variety for all five denominations 1 Cents thru 50 Cents and briefly a further new variety of the 1 Cent - I can now say more about the 1 Cent varieties. Previously I said how all types of the current series exist with just date EE there are now EE1996 (= 2004) dated pieces of the 5, 10, 25 and 50 Cents. Varieties of the 1 Cent EE1969 Until recently I had only seen about 6 pieces of the EE Cent. For some of the three varieties I had only seen one or two examples. So I was unable to conclude much about these varieties - for all I knew there could be others. A few months ago I temporarily got 103 pieces of the 1 Cent that had only recently been taken from circulation in Ethiopia, most were with much original lustre. None of the 103 pieces were the original variety, i.e. the first variety - per the 1 Cent (and obverses of 5, 10, 25 and 50 Cents) I have had since the early 1990 s. These first variety pieces have an allover dull/matte finish and on the obverse two whiskers end over the central date character. Seventy-seven of the 103 pieces (74.8 %) were with an obverse as seen on the 5, 10, 25 and 50 Cents of the new variety - as previously detailed. These 1 Cent pieces have a brilliant finish (though by no means mirror-like), on the obverse one whisker ends over the central date character and on the reverse the design extends lower down towards the rim.

6 1 Cent EE1969 date close-ups for (top to bottom) KM-43.1, KM-43.2 and possible future KM All are dated EE1969. (Scale 400dpi, negative for better contrast ) Twenty-six of the 103 pieces (25.2 %) were very similar to the original variety pieces but with the whiskers pointing differently around last digit of the date - something not yet seen for any of the other denominations. These 1 Cent pieces have brilliant fields and dull/matte features (though they are by no means proof-like). The average grade of these 26 pieces was not quite so high as the 77 pieces that comprised the balance of the lot. The SCWC listings for 1 Cent would be best amended to the following. 1 Cent KM-43.1, Composition Aluminium Obv. Small lion head, with 2 whiskers over central date character KM-43.2, Composition Aluminium Obv. Small lion head, modified design, includes 1 whisker over central date character Rev. Modified design, base of design closer to rim KM-43.3, Composition Aluminium Obv. Larger lion head, with 2 whiskers over central date character Rev. similar to KM-43.1 Minted by Franklin Mint. FM KM new sub-type, Composition Aluminium Obv. similar to KM-43.1 except whiskers point differently around last date digit. Rev. similar to KM-43.1

7 I do not entirely agree with the minter attributions in SCWC for these coins. The date image they have in SCWC relating to KM-43.1 / KM-43.2 thru KM-47.1 / KM-47.2 is from this site but my info should not conclude that these are British Royal Mint and Berlin Mint. The Royal Canadian Mint likely comes into this somewhere and with the further complication of the new sub-type above puts too much uncertainty on 1 Cent minter attribution - except for the Franklin Mint pieces - KM The EE1996 Dated Coinage I first heard of a further change to Ethiopia s coinage when I came across reports of problems being experienced with new coins being used in Ethiopia s payphones. These problems were due to thickness changes with the 5 Cent coins. Within a couple of months I had info from two sources that new 5, 10, 25 and 50 Cent coins were issued and they were dated EE1996 (2004). I also found out that the new pieces have some slight design changes and were now of compositions attracted to a magnet. The EE1969 first variety 10 Cents (left) and the EE Cents (right). Both have the same arrangment of whiskers around the date, the newer variety has larger designs on both sides. (Scale 400dpi). New date pieces of all four denominations are new sub-types. However where as the 5 Cents and 10 Cents follow the respective original sub-types (KM-44.1 and KM- 45.1), the 25 Cents and 50 Cents follow the respective newer sub-types (KM-46.2 and KM-47.2).

8 The date on the EE1969 second variety 50 Cents (top) and the date on the EE Cents (bottom). Both have the same arrangment of whiskers around the date. (Scale 400dpi, negative for better contrast ). Furthermore on the EE1996 dated 5 Cent and 10 Cent pieces, the obverse design has been increased in size by approximately 5 per cent and that on the reverse has been increased in size increased by approximately 4 per cent. There no design size changes between EE1969 dated KM-46.2 and KM-47.2 pieces and the EE1996 dated 25 Cents and 50 Cents. The SCWC listings for 5, 10, 25 and 50 Cents would now be best amended to the following. For 5 Cents (10 Cents follows the same pattern) KM-44.1, Composition Nickel-Brass Obv. Small lion head, with 2 whiskers over central date character KM-44.2, Composition Nickel-Brass Obv. Small lion head, modified design, includes 1 whisker over central date character Rev. Modified design KM-44.3, Composition Nickel-Brass Obv. Larger lion head, with 2 whiskers over central date character Rev. similar to KM-44.1 Minted by Franklin Mint. FM KM-44a (?) - new sub-type, Composition Brass-plated-Steel Obv. Larger lion head, with 2 whiskers over central date character Rev. as KM-44.1 but larger design Date - EE1996 For 25 Cents (50 Cents follows the same pattern) KM-46.1, Composition Copper-Nickel Obv. Small lion head, with 2 whiskers over central date character

9 KM-46.2, Composition Copper-Nickel Obv. Small lion head, modified design, includes 1 whisker over central date character Rev. Modified design Dates - EE1969 KM-46.3, Composition Copper-Nickel Obv. Larger lion head, with 2 whiskers over central date character Rev. similar to KM-46.1 Minted by Franklin Mint. FM KM-46.2a (?) - new sub-type, Composition Nickel-plated-Steel Obv. as KM-46.2 Rev. as KM-46.2 Dates - EE1996 (For each of the four general types above, I am not precisely sure how the fourth of the sub-types be numbered by the KP Books cataloguers.) Further to my last comment in discussion of the three 1 Cent varieties - whichever mint made which sub-types of the 5, 10, 25 and 50 Cents denomination - something interesting can be deduced from observations of the various specimens. It would seem very likely that the EE Cents and 10 Cents were made by a different mint than the EE Cents and 50 Cents. It would seem that the Brass-plated-Steel coins have been made by the British Royal Mint and the Nickel-plated-Steel coins by the Royal Canadian Mint.