Ethiopia: Empress Zauditu silver Essai Pattern Birr EE 1917 (1925) MS62 NGC,...

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Sold on Jan 13, 2025 for:

$57,600.00 Bid Source: HA.com/Live bidder

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Wholly Elusive Ethiopian Essai Birr of Zauditu

Empress Zauditu silver Essai Pattern Birr EE 1917 (1925) MS62 NGC, Paris mint, Gil-Z5 var. (for obverse). Uneffaced denomination variety. By Dammann and Chaplain. A supreme rarity from the Ethiopian series and a type that has not been seen at market in silver since our handling of the Formosa example in 2014, also ranked MS62. The specimen on offer is simply astounding, a belief further confirmed when viewed in-hand under magnification. There, the collector will notice subtle but powerful artistic choices by the engravers who clearly wished to raise the profile of Menelik II's daughter, Empress Zauditu. Featuring a uniform cabinet tone that accentuates the peripheral legends while lending an appreciable matte-like appearance throughout, our specimen is in a visual class unto itself. While ultimately succeeded by Haile Selassie, these elusive Patterns would stay just that, struck in various metals and formats with minor variations and denominations, with so few in any combination extant. Those non-uniface examples in gold and silver are among the most prized products of Ethiopian numismatics and we anticipate a collector response commensurate with that fact.

Ex. Heritage Auction 3012 (January 2011, Lot 23808)

From the Eternal Collection

Metal: Silver
Diameter: 40mm

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