Timeline

• around 1892
• Issuance of a silver subsidiary coin denominated "Mahallak" and dated EE1885 by the Harar mint, possibly circulated as Piastre after the 1893 reform
• 10.02.1893
• EE:04.06.1885
• Imperial decree (?) on the adoption of the Maria Theresa Thaler as national coinage and as weight standard "Ethiopian ounce"; effective immediately (?)
• 12.07.1933
• Decimalization currency law
• around 1894
• Start of currency issuance:
  - around 1894: Start of issuance of silver Thalers and fractions dated EE1887 by the Paris mint; the silver Piastre circulated as ¹⁄₁₆ Thaler although legally an by weight it was a ¹⁄₂₀ Thaler
  - around 1896: Start of issuance of (a small numbers of) copper subsidiary coins of 1, ½, ¼ Piastre dated EE1888 by the Paris mint, were not accepted in the marked therefore discontinued
  - around 1897: Start of issuance of a copper subsidiary coin of ¹⁄₁₀₀ Thaler dated EE1889 by the Paris mint, were not accepted in the market and the issuance got suspended
  - around 19015: Start of issuance of paper money by the Bank of Abyssinia.
• 1900-1920
• Issuance of gold bullion coins denominated "Wark" and fractions; the weights deviated considerably from the official standards:
  - First standard: Wark with weight and fineness of the 20 French Franc piece (5'806.45mg AU fine)
  - Second standard: Wark of ¹⁄₅ Ethiopian ounce gold 0.900 (5'052.60mg AU fine)

Valuation Regimes

• 1893-1936
• Metallic currency based on circulating silver coins, additional gold coins of varying weights and without fixed rate against silver. Base weight is the "Ethiopian ounce" in the weight of the Maria Theresa Thaler at 28.01 grams.

Timeline

• 02.07.1936
• Royal Italian decree [No. 1371] on the adoption of the Italian currency in the East Africa colony; effective 15.07.1936 (later converted into the law [No. 260] of 11.01 1937)
• 15.07.1936
• Start of currency exchange:
  - 15.07.1936: Start of issuance of Italian banknotes and coins
  - 15.10.1936: Demonetization of the Ethiopian paper money
  - 31.12.1936: Demonetization of the Ethiopian subsidiary coins (the original date of 15.08.1936 had to be extended)
  - 05.01.1938: Finance minister decree, withdrew legal tender status from the Maria Theresa Thaler; they were not withdrawn and could be traded at bullion value; effective 07.02.1938
  - 18.03.1938: Finance minister decree on the issuance of special banknotes of 1000, 500, 100, 50 Italian Lire for use in Italian East Africa by the bank of Italy; effective by finance minister decree of 08.08.1938.

Timeline

• 07.04.1941
• Start of currency exchange after the British occupation:
  - 07.04.1941: British military ordinance, declares legal tender status to (therefore demonetizes Italian money without banning its use): Maria Theresa Thaler, East African Shilling, Indian Rupee, Egyptian Pound; effective immediately
  - 24.04.1941
  - Rating of contracts and deposits in Italian currency as: Maria Theresa Thaler = 45 Italian Lire, East African Shilling = 24 Italian Lire, Indian Rupee = 36 Italian Lire, Egyptian Pound = 492 Italian Lire
  - 30.04.1941: Start of issuance of East African paper money and coins
  - 01.05.1942: Demonetisation of Indian paper money and coins (were introduced by military ordinance of 04.04.1941)
  - 31.10.1942: Demonetization of Egyptian paper money and coins (leaving the East African Shilling and the Maria Theresa Thaler at 2 East African Shillings as sole legal tender)

Timeline

• 29.05.1945
• EE:21.09.1937
• Currency law on the re-introduction of a national currency; effective immediately (?):
  - The international currency name was "Dollar" while the Ethiopian name was "Birr".
• 23.07.1945
• Start of currency exchange:
  - 23.07.1945: Start of issuance of the new banknotes and coins
  - 23.05.1946: Demonetization of the East African currency
  - 30.11.1946: Demonetization of the Maria Theresa Thaler and exchange at a ratio of 1 Thaler = 1.50 Ethiopian Birr; exchange period 29.04. - 07.07.1947 (the Thalers continued circulating afterwards, but were no longer legal tender)
• 21.09.1976
• EE:11.01.1969
• Currency law (revised), changes the international currency name; effective immediately (?):
  - The international and Ethiopian currency names are "Birr".

Valuation Regimes

• 1945-1949
• Fixed rate against British Pound
• 1949-1994
• Fixed rate against US Dollar
• 1994-
• Variable rate