Gersh: coin of Ethiopian Empire (Abyssinia); 1/20 birr

GERSH: COIN OF ETHIOPIA

1 gersh (፩ ግርሸ), 1903: Ethiopian Empire

1 gersh (፩ ግርሸ), 1903: Ethiopian Empire

Ruler: Menelik II (ዳግማዊ ምኒልክ) — the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1889 to his death in 1913.

Date on coin: 1895 by the Ethiopian calendar (፲፰፻፺፭: Amharic) = 1903 (Gregorian calendar).

Ethiopian coins in 1 gersh with the date "1895" (Ethiopian era) were minted during 1903-1928.

Lion of Judah (symbol, the Royal Insignia of the Ethiopian empire; one of the titles of the ancient Solomonic Emperors of Ethiopia) holding cross with ribbon.

Under the lion — symbol "A", signs cornucopia and torch (Paris mint, France).

፩ ግርሸ: 1 gersh.

ሞዓ አንበሳ ዘእምነገደ ይሁዳ: The Lion King of Judah (Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah).

Crowned bust of 82th emperor of Ethiopia Menelik II (House of Solomon, Shewan Branch).

ዳግማዊ ምኒልክ : ንጉሠ ነገሥት ዘኢትዮጵያ: Menelik II — Emperor (king of kings) of Ethiopia.

Mintage: 44.789.000.

Paris mint (France).

  • Silver (0.835): 16.5 mm - 1.43 g
  • Reference price: 10$

COIN GERSH — WHERE & WHEN (coins catalog: by names & emitents)
  1. ETHIOPIAN EMPIRE (1896-1928): gersh = 1/20 birr

The name of gersh (ghersh) coin, according to one version, comes from the name of an extremely common coin of the neighboring Ottoman Empire — kuruş (kurush), which in some lands was called qirsh. That is, the Ethiopian gersh to some extent could also be called kuruş, but historically there has been a separation of these two coin's names.
According to another version, the name of the gersh derived from Latin "grossus" — thick.