Set Description
Ethiopian Coins Struck by the United States (and others) dated 1944 (EE1936)
 
There are seven coins in this set representing five denominations, all with the same obverse and reverse designs. The obverse shows a bust of Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974, facing left with the date below, and the reverse is the Lion of Juda facing right with his dexter (right) foreleg raised holding a ribboned cross with the denomination below. The obverse was designed by John Sinnock and the reverse by Gilroy Roberts, both chief engravers of the U.S. Mint. Sinnock served as the eight chief engraver is best know for his design of the U.S. Roosevelt dime and Roberts served as the ninth chief engraver, is most famous for his design for the obverse of the Kennedy Half Dollar.
Although these coins were struck sporadically over a period of 31 years beginning in 1944, all are dated Julian1936 (commonly specified as EE1936) using the Amheric numbering system. Ethiopia uses the Julian calendar, which is 7 years, 8 months behind the Gregorian date. The Ethiopian year begins on September 11 of the Gregorian year, so the date of 1936 is either 7 or 8 years older. In this case, the earliest year these coins were minted was 1944, so 8 is added to the Julian date. When looking at any of these coins, the date below the bust on the obverse appears to contain five digits. This is because the Amharic number system goes 1-9, followed by multiples of 10 (10, 20, 30, 40, etc) each represented by a singe Amheric character. The extra digit, which is in the middle, is a 100 multiplier and applies to the two digits preceding it. The Amheric digits in the order seen on the coins translate to Arabic as follows:
10 . 9 . 100 . 30 . 6
The applicable formula to convert this to an Arabic number is (10+9)*100 + (30+6) = 1900 + 36 = 1936.
Please see the references below for more information on conversions from the Amheric numbering system to Arabic.
The table below shows the quantity of coins for each issue struck in each year by the U.S Mint in Philadelphia followed by the total number of coins struck by the Royal Mint of England, the total struck by all mints, and the percentage of the total struck by the U.S. mint.
| Year | Cent | 5 Cents | 10 Cents | 25 Cents | 25 Cents | 50 Cents | 50 Cents |
|---|
| Variety | | | | Round | Crimped | .800 fine | .700 fine |
|---|
| 1944 | 3,000,000 | 3,162,000 | 25,000,000 | | | 763,000 | | | 1945 | 12,000,000 | 12,838,000 | | | | 29,237,000 | | | 1946 | | 10,000,000 | | | | | | | 1947 | | 12,000,000 | | | | | 20,433,730 | | 1949 | | 16,000,000 | 16,000,000 | | | | | | 1952 | | 5,112,000 | 5,000,000 | 421,500* | 1,299,000 | | | | 1953 | | 34,888,000 | 25,000,000 | | 28,701,000 | | | | 1957 | | | 6,928,000 | | | | | | 1958 | | 10,000,000 | 33,072,000 | | | | | | 1962 | | 5,000,000 | 20,000,000 | | | | | | 1963 | | | 30,000,000 | | | | | | U.S. Total | 15,000,000 | 109,000,000 | 161,000,000 | 421,500* | 30,000,000 | 30,000,000 | 20,433,730 | | U.K. Total | 5,000,000 | 110,000,000 | 187,998,000 | | | | | | Grand Total | 20,000,000 | 219,000,000 | 348,998,000 | 421,500* | 30,000,000 | 30,000,000 | 20,433,730 | | % U.S. | 75.0% | 49.8% | 46.1% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
* 10,000,000 were minted, but only 421,500 were actually released.
References:
A Look at Ethiopic Numerals
Explaining the Ethiopic Numbering System and a tiny lesson on Amharic
How to read Amheric Dates
History of the Ethiopian Flag
Foreigners in the Mint
Set Goals
A full set in the best grades possible.
Rev. 7/23/2023
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View Coin
| Cent KM-32 |
ETHIOPIA & HARAR
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CENT EE1936(1944) Ethiopia KM-32
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NGC MS 64 RD
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Ethiopia - EE1936 (1943-1944) - 1 Cent, Ande Santeem KM #32 - Mintage: 20,000,000 (total from all mints)
These coins were designed by Gilroy Roberts and were struck in 1944 and 1945 by the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia and from 1944-1975 in Birmingham and London, all with the same Amharic date of EE1936. The Amharic date plus eight results in the A.D. date of 1944. The actual mintages by the Philadelphia Mint are as follows:
1944......3,000,000
1945....12,000,000
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Total....15,000,000
Based on the numbers above, the odds are 75% that this particular coin was actually minted by the Philadelphia Mint since there is no way to distinguish coins minted by each mint.
The obverse shows a bust of Haile Selassie I facing left with the date below, and the reverse is a crowned lion facing right with his right foreleg raised holding a ribboned cross with the denomination below. It is a bronze coin (95% copper, 5% zinc) with a plain edge.
With a cumulative mintage of 20 million, high grade, full red specimens abound, and this is not a rare coin by any means. This grade is pretty average within the NGC population. It is a nice example of this interesting historic coin, and I am pleased to add it to my collection.
Date acquired: 12/17/2014 (Already graded by NGC)
Rev. 5/13/2016
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View Coin
| 5 Cents KM-33 |
ETHIOPIA & HARAR
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5C EE1936 Ethiopia KM-33
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NGC MS 65 RD
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Ethiopia - EE1936 (1943-1944) - 5 Cent, Amist Santeem KM #33 - Mintage: 219,000,000 (total from all mints)
These coins were designed by Gilroy Roberts and were struck in nine different years between 1944-1962 by the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia and from 1964-1966 in Birmingham, all with the same Amharic date of EE1936. The Amharic date plus eight results in the A.D. date of 1944. The actual mintages by the Philadelphia Mint are as follows:
1944........3,162,000
1945......12,838,000
1946......10,000,000
1947......12,000,000
1949......16,000,000
1952........5,112,000
1953......34,888,000
1958......10,000,000
1962........5,000,000
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Total....109,000,000 from Philadelphia
Based on the numbers above, it is just ever so slightly more likely that this particular coin was actually minted by the Royal Mint of England since there is no way to distinguish coins minted before 1964 from those minted after.
The obverse shows a bust of Haile Selassie I facing left with the date below, and the reverse is a crowned lion facing right with his right foreleg raised holding a ribboned cross with the denomination below. It is a bronze coin (95% copper, 5% zinc) with a reeded edge.
With a cumulative mintage of roughly 219 million, high grade, full red specimens abound, and this is not a rare coin by any means. This grade however is pretty good with none graded higher by NGC or PCGS. It is a nice example of this interesting historic coin, and I am pleased to add it to my collection.
Date acquired: 8/7/2015 (Already graded by NGC)
Rev. 5/13/2016
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View Coin
| 10 Cents KM-34 |
ETHIOPIA & HARAR
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10C EE1936 Ethiopia KM-34
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NGC MS 64 RD
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Ethiopia - EE1936 (1943-1944) - 10 Cent, Assir Santeem KM #34 - Mintage: 348,998,000 (total from all mints)
These coins were designed by Gilroy Roberts and were struck in eight different years between 1945-1963 by the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia and from 1964-1966 in Birmingham and 1974-1975 in London, all with the same Amharic date of EE1936. The Amharic date plus eight results in the A.D. date of 1944. The actual mintages by the Philadelphia Mint are as follows:
1945......25,000,000
1949......16,000,000
1952........5,000,000
1953......25,000,000
1957........6,928,000
1958......33,072,000
1962......20,000,000
1963......30,000,000
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Total....161,000,000
Based on the numbers above, it is slightly more likely that this particular coin was actually minted by the Royal Mint of England since there is no way to distinguish coins minted before 1964 from those minted after.
The obverse shows a bust of Haile Selassie I facing left with the date below, and the reverse is a crowned lion facing right with his right foreleg raised holding a ribboned cross with the denomination below. It is a bronze coin (95% copper, 5% zinc) with a reeded edge.
With a cumulative mintage of nearly 349 million, high grade, full red specimens abound, and this is not a rare coin by any means. This grade however is pretty good with only one graded higher by NGC. It is a nice example of this interesting historic coin, and I am pleased to add it to my collection.
Date acquired: 12/14/2014 (Already graded by NGC)
Rev. 5/13/2016
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View Coin
| 25 Cents (Round) KM-35 |
ETHIOPIA & HARAR
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25C EE1936(1944) Ethiopia ROUND KM-35
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NGC MS 65 RD
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Ethiopia - EE1936 (1943-1944) - 25 Cent, Assir Santeem KM #35 Plain Edge - Mintage: 10,000,000, but only 421,500 were issued
These coins were minted and withdrawn in 1952 to be replaced by KM#36 which has a crimped edge.
These coins were struck with medallic rotation and a reeded edge.
Designed in Philadelphia by John Sinnoch (obverse) and Gilroy Roberts (reverse)
These coins were actually struck in 1952 by the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, all with the same Amharic date of EE1936. The Amharic date plus eight results in the A.D. date of 1944.
The obverse shows a bust of Haile Selassie I facing left with the date below, and the reverse is a crowned lion facing right with his right foreleg raised holding a ribboned cross with the denomination below. It is a bronze coin (95% copper, 5% zinc) with a reeded edge. These coins have a diameter of 26mm, which is almost indistinguishable in size from the silver 50 Centime coin which was 25mm in diameter, also having a reeded edge. Even though the denomination appears on the reverse of each coin, very few in the country could read which made it very convenient for unscrupulous individuals to silver plate these coins and pass them off as 50 centime pieces for a quick 25 centime profit. The coins were withdrawn and retrofitted by hand with a scalloped edge. Later issues of the 25 centime coins were minted with a special milling collar to form the scallops around the edge of the coin.
These coins are rare to begin with, and I suspect that high grade, full red specimens like this one are quite rare. This is the first and only example I've found of the round version with a normal reeded edge. It is great example of this rare and historic coin, and I feel very lucky to be able to add it to my collection.
Date acquired: 2/19/2020 (already graded by NNC )
Date graded: 7/27/2020 (self submitted to NGC)
Rev. 7/24/2023
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View Coin
| 25 Cents (Crimped) KM-36 |
ETHIOPIA & HARAR
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25C EE1936 Ethiopia (1944) CRIMPED KM-36
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NGC MS 64 RD
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Ethiopia - EE1936 (1943-1944) - 25 Cent, Assir Santeem KM #36 - Mintage: 30,000,000 (total from all mints)
These coins were designed by Gilroy Roberts were actually struck in 1952 and 1953 by the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, all with the same Amharic date of EE1936. The Amharic date plus eight results in the A.D. date of 1944.
The actual mintages by year were:
1952........1,299,000
1953......28,701,000
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Total......30,000,000
The obverse shows a bust of Haile Selassie I facing left with the date below, and the reverse is a crowned lion facing right with his right foreleg raised holding a ribboned cross with the denomination below. It is a bronze coin (95% copper, 5% zinc) with a crimped edge. These coins were struck with crude and refined edges, but I don't know which one this particular coin is. Another interesting characteristic is that these coins were struck with medallic rotation instead of the normal top to bottom coin rotation.
High grade, full red specimens are relatively plentiful, and this is not a rare coin by any means. This grade however is pretty good with only three graded higher by NGC. It is a nice example of this interesting historic coin, and I am pleased to add it to my collection.
Date acquired: 3/20/2016 (raw coin)
Date graded: 9/28/2016 (self submitted to NGC)
Rev. 9/28/2016
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View Coin
| 50 Cents (.800 fine) KM-37 |
ETHIOPIA & HARAR
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50C EE1936(1944) Ethiopia .800 SILVER KM-37
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NGC MS 65
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Ethiopia - EE1936 (1944) (this coin minted in 1947) - 50 Cent, KM #37 (.800 fine silver) - Mintage: 30,000,000
Total Mintage all types: 50,433,730
These coins, designed by Gilroy Roberts were actually struck in 1944, 1945, and 1947 by the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, all with the same Amharic date of EE1936. The Amharic date plus eight results in the A.D. date of 1944.
The actual mintages by year were:
1944...........763,000 (.800 silver, .200 copper)
1945......29,237,000 (.800 silver, .200 copper) <=== this coin
1947......20,433,730 (.700 silver, .300 copper)
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Total......50,433,730
The obverse shows a bust of Haile Selassie I facing left with the date below, and the reverse is a crowned lion facing right with his right foreleg raised holding a ribboned cross with the denomination below. It is a silver coin (80% silver, 20% copper) with a reeded edge. Another interesting characteristic is that these coins were struck with medallic rotation instead of the normal top to bottom coin rotation.
Only an assay or specific gravity test can identify an 80% silver specimen from a 70% silver coin since the design is otherwise identical as is the total weight of the coin. I assume that NGC must have made this determination by a very accurate weighing or possibly a specific gravity test.
Date acquired: 9/27/2020 (already graded by NGC)
Rev. 9/27/2020
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View Coin
| 50 Cents (.700 fine) KM-37a |
ETHIOPIA & HARAR
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50C EE1936(1944) Ethiopia .700 SILVER KM-37a
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NGC MS 63
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Ethiopia - EE1936 (1944) (this coin minted in 1947) - 50 Cent, KM #37a - Mintage: 20,433,730
Total Mintage all types: 50,433,730
These coins, designed by Gilroy Roberts were actually struck in 1944, 1945, and 1947 by the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, all with the same Amharic date of EE1936. The Amharic date plus eight results in the A.D. date of 1944.
The actual mintages by year were:
1944...........763,000 (.800 silver, .200 copper)
1945......29,237,000 (.800 silver, .200 copper)
1947......20,433,730 (.700 silver, .300 copper) <=== this coin
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Total......50,433,730
The obverse shows a bust of Haile Selassie I facing left with the date below, and the reverse is a crowned lion facing right with his right foreleg raised holding a ribboned cross with the denomination below. It is a silver coin (70% silver, 30% copper) with a reeded edge. Another interesting characteristic is that these coins were struck with medallic rotation instead of the normal top to bottom coin rotation.
This particular coin was the first to be specifically identified as a 70% silver coin minted in 1947 although it is not stated on the label. A cert. verification does identify it as a 70% silver coin though. There is now one other graded higher with specific identification of being 70% silver. There may be others as well although not specifically identified. Only an assay or specific gravity test can identify an 80% silver specimen from a 70% silver coin since the design is otherwise identical. I assume that NGC must have made this determination by a very accurate weighing or possibly a specific gravity test.
Date acquired: 10/30/2017 (raw coin)
Date graded: 9/28/2018 (self submitted to NGC)
Rev. 11/24/2020
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