50 Matonas - Hailé Selassié I

Features

Issuer	Ethiopian Empire (Ethiopia)
Emperor	Haile Selassie I (1930-1936, 1941-1974)
Type	Standard circulation coins
Year	1923 (1931)
Calendar	Ethiopian
Value	50 Matonas (፶ መቶኛ) (0.50)
Currency	Birr / Thaler (decimalized, 1931-1936)
Composition	Nickel
Weight	7.11 g
Diameter	26.7 mm
Thickness	1.7 mm
Shape	Round
Technique	Milled
Orientation	Medal alignment ↑↑
Demonetized	Yes
Number	N# 9331
References	KM# 31 Standard Catalog of World Coins (86 volumes). , Schön# 27 Battenberg Gietl Verlag (publisher). Weltmünzkatalog. Battenberg Gietl Verlag, Regenstauf, Bavaria, Germany (4 volumes).

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Obverse

Portrait of Haile Selassié I, facing right, denomination below, date left

Script: Ge'ez

Lettering:
ቀዳማዊ፡ኀይለ፡ሥላሴ፡ንጉሠ፡ነገሥት፡ዘኢትዮጵያ።
፲፱፻፳፫
⥼ ፶ መቶኛ:: ⥽

Translation:
Hailé Selassié I, King of Kings (Emperor) of Ethiopia
10 9 100 20 3 (meaning (10+9)*100 +20+3 = 1923)
50 Matona/Metonya (መቶ means hundred, መቶኛ means hundreth)

Reverse

Lion of Judah facing right, denomination below

Scripts: Ge'ez, Latin

Lettering:
ሞዓ፡አንበሳ፡ዘእምነገደ፡ይሁዳ፡

50

Translation: The Lion of Judah has conquered (or Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah)

Edge

Plain

Mint

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (1903-date)

Comments

Blank planchets for this type were manufactured by Mond Nickel Company in 1932, 1933, and 1934.

Of the total mintage, 422,462 were minted in 1933 and 1,198,794 were minted in 1934.

Haile Selassie I (1882-1975) was the last emperor of Ethiopia. He was born as Täfäri Mäkonnän and later became known as Ras (duke) Tafari. In 1916 he dethroned Lij Yasu, the successor of emperor Melnik II. Zauditu, Menilek II’s daughter, became empress in 1917, while Ras Tafari became regent and heir apparent to the throne. He ruled from 1930 to 1936, then from 1941 to 1974, interrupted by the Italian occupation. After famine struck the nation, he was kept under house arrest in his palace after a military coup and got killed by the junta the 27th of August 1975. Some Rastafarians have refered to Haile Selassie as the returned messiah of the Bible.

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Date			Mintage		VG	F	VF	XF	AU	UNC
Undetermined
1923 (1931)			1 621 256			$ 1.20	$ 4.90	$ 7.50	$ 10	$ 16		Minted in 1933-1934

Values in the table above are expressed in USD. They are based on evaluations by Numista users and sales realized on Internet platforms. They serve as an indication only; they are not intended to be relied upon for buying, selling or exchanging. Numista does not buy or sell coins or banknotes.

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This index is based on the data of Numista members collections. It ranges from 0 to 100, 0 meaning a very common coin or banknote and 100 meaning a rare coin or banknote among Numista members.

Past sales

Pictures	Sale	Date	Grade	Sold price
	Katz Auction 166 Lot 1985	16 Aug 2025	UNC	USD 57.86 (EUR 50.00) (+ buyer's premium)
© Katz Coins Notes & Supplies Corp.
	Katz Auction 154 Lot 2131	12 Apr 2025	UNC	USD 65.97 (EUR 57.00) (+ buyer's premium)
© Katz Coins Notes & Supplies Corp.
	Katz Auction 101 Lot 2156	18 Nov 2023	UNC	USD 10.42 (EUR 9.00) (+ buyer's premium)
© Katz Coins Notes & Supplies Corp.
	Katz Auction 67 Lot 2830	24 Sep 2022	UNC	USD 15.04 (EUR 13.00) (+ buyer's premium)
© Katz Coins Notes & Supplies Corp.
	Katz Auction 61 Lot 635	7 Jun 2022	AU	USD 47.45 (EUR 41.00) (+ buyer's premium)
© Katz Coins Notes & Supplies Corp.
	Katz Auction 72 Lot 2649	21 Dec 2022	XF	USD 16.20 (EUR 14.00) (+ buyer's premium)
© Katz Coins Notes & Supplies Corp.