Birr is the currency of which African country?

The birr is the unit of currency in Ethiopia. It is subdivided into 100 santim.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Maria Theresa thalers and blocks of salt called “amole tchew” served as currency in Ethiopia. The thaler was known locally as the Birr or talari. The Maria Theresa thaler was officially adopted as the standard coin in 1855, although the Indian rupee and the Mexican dollar were also used in foreign trade.

The talari (thaler, dollar, birr) became the standard unit on 9 February 1893 and 200,000 dollars were produced at the Paris Mint in 1894 for Menelik II. The talari, equivalent to the Maria Theresa thaler, was divided into 20 ghersh or 40 bessa.

A new Ethiopian coinage appeared about 1903. The new silver birr maintained the same weight and fineness as the old, but there was now a quarter-birr and a silver ghersh, the latter 1/16 the weight of the birr. The money of account now became 1 birr’ = 16 ghersh = 32 bessa.

 

Picture Credit : Google

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