Ethiopia 1 Birr, Menelik II, KM#5 (Lagrange type) — 1897 (EE1889), Paris Mint

.835 fine silver, 27.70g (near full spec weight of ~27.9-28g — minimal wear loss). Grade: Fine-Very Fine — major design elements (crown, portrait, Lion of Judah bearing the cross-banner) remain bold and well-struck. Surface shows numerous fine hairline scratches from old handling/cleaning, visible under close inspection — priced and graded accordingly. Ungraded, raw. See photos for actual condition.

Historical note: The birr was established as Ethiopia's monetary system in 1893, during Emperor Menelik II's reign, with the first coin series issued in 1895 — Ethiopia's currency had previously run on the Maria Theresa thaler and salt-block currency called amoleh. The design was created by French artist Jean Lagrange, with dies engraved by Austrian sculptors Franz Pawlik and Anton Scharff, and coins were struck at the Monnaie de Paris. This was the only modern machine-struck Ethiopian crown to actually enter circulation. The reverse depicts the Lion of Judah — a national and imperial symbol of Ethiopia — carrying a cross-topped banner.