EMPIRE OF ETHIOPIA (1137-1936 / 1941-1974)
REIGN OF HAILE SELASSIE I (1930-1974) - SOLOMONIC (SOLOMONID) DYNASTY
RARE EE 1964 // 1972 SERIES HONORING ETHEOPIA'S RULERS - EMPRESS ZEWDITU
FIFTY DOLLAR GOLD COIN CERTIFIED BY NGC PROOF 68 ULTRA CAMEO
OBV: CROWNED PORTRAIT BUST OF ZEWDITU LEFT.
REV: DEPICTS THE IMPERIAL CREST OF THE CROWNED LION OF JUDAH CARRYING A RIBBONED STAFF WITH CROSS; DATE BELOW; SMALL PRIVY MARK "NI" WREATHED TO RIGHT OF DATE AND ENGRAVED NUMBER LEFT OF DATE.
KM # 58
ACCORDING TO LEGEND, THE HOUSE OF SOLOMON WAS DESCENDED FROM MENELIK, THE SON OF KING SOLOMON OF ISRAEL AND THE QUEEN OF SHEBA.
THE DYNASTY CAME TO POWER IN 1270 AD, AND WITH THE AID OF A BRITISH MISSION, SUCCESFULLY UNITED ALL OF ETHIOPIA INTO ONE COUNTRY IN 1855.
EMPRESS ZEWDITU (ALSO ZAUDITU) (REIGNED 1916-1930), WAS THE ELDEST DAUGHTER OF EMPEROR MENELIK II (REIGNED 1889-1913). SHE WAS PROCLAIMED "QUEEN OF KINGS" BY THE COUNCIL OF STATE AND THE CHURCH IN 1916, TAKING PRECEDENCE OVER THE UNPOPULAR AND UNCROWNED HEIR APPARENT, HER NEPHEW, IYASU. SHE WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY WOMAN TO RULE ETHIOPIA, AND WAS THE LAST DIRECT DESCENDENT OF THE MALE LINE OF SOLOMON. ZEWDITU DID NOT EXERCISE POWER, BUT LIVED UNDER THE REGENCEY OF HER OWN HEIR, HER COUSIN, RAS TAFARI. RAS TAFARI MAKONNEN WAS A MODERNIZER AND ZEWDITU A CONSERVATIVE. SHE SPENT MUCH OF HER TIME IN PRAYER AND FASTING. TAFARI, ON THE OTHER HAND, WAS VERY ACTIVE, AND ABOLISHED SLAVERY, ENTERED ETHIOPIA IN THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS, AND WOULD SUCCEED ZEWDITU, AFTER HER CONTROVERSIAL DEATH IN 1930, AS THE EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE.
CONTAINS 20.0 GRAMS OF .900 FINE GOLD (.5787 OZ AGW)
32 MM IN DIAMETER
ONLY 16,000 MINTED!
