Currencies/Ethiopian dollar

Introduction

The term “Ethiopian Dollar” referred to the same monetary unit now known as the Birr, equal to 100 santim (centimes). It symbolized the modernization of Ethiopia’s post-war financial system and replaced the East African Shilling following the restoration of Emperor Haile Selassie I.

While the local name birr (meaning “silver”) dated back to the 19th century, the English term dollar was used to make the currency more recognizable in international trade during the mid-20th century.

History

Reintroduction (1945)

The modern Ethiopian currency was reintroduced on 23 July 1945, replacing the East African Shilling at the rate of 1 birr/dollar = 2 shillings. This marked the start of the era of the “Ethiopian Dollar,” when both birr and dollar referred to the same unit.

The new currency was issued by the State Bank of Ethiopia (later the National Bank of Ethiopia), and the system was decimalized — 1 dollar (birr) = 100 santim.

Name Transition (1976)

Although banknotes printed between 1945 and 1975 often displayed the word “dollar” in English alongside “birr” in Amharic, a language reform in 1976 officially standardized the name Birr for all languages and denominations.

After this change, the English term Ethiopian Dollar was completely phased out, and modern banknotes bore only the name Birr.

Coins

Coins during the “Ethiopian Dollar” period were denominated in santim and birr, featuring national symbols such as the Lion of Judah and the crown of Emperor Haile Selassie.

Common denominations included

1 santim, 5 santim, 10 santim, 25 santim, and 50 santim (bronze and copper-nickel)

1 birr (silver coin, later replaced by cupronickel)

Banknotes

Banknotes of the Ethiopian Dollar era were printed between 1945 and 1975, in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 dollars/birr.

They were bilingual, displaying “Ethiopian Dollar” in English and “Birr” in Amharic. Designs featured portraits of Emperor Haile Selassie I, national emblems, and images of agriculture, trade, and modernization.

By 1976, new series were printed with “Birr” as the sole name, reflecting Ethiopia’s linguistic and national identity shift.

Currency

The Ethiopian Dollar followed a simple decimal system:

1 Dollar (Birr) = 100 Santim (Centimes)

This system remains in use under the modern Birr, with only the English terminology changed.

Legacy

The Ethiopian Dollar represents a transitional phase in Ethiopia’s monetary history — bridging imperial modernization and post-war reconstruction. Though no longer used, banknotes and coins marked “Ethiopian Dollar” are valuable to numismatists and historians as symbols of Ethiopia’s evolving national identity and economic independence.

In 1976, the name Birr officially replaced Dollar, aligning with Amharic usage and unifying the currency’s identity both domestically and internationally.