Owner Comments:
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