An Unusual Ethiopian Short Sword

[spiral]

Here is an article about them from a leading UK bullion supplier that may help with thier history Derek.

I have also heard it said by a dealer in coins , that it was liked because it featured a large european woman,with an uncovered face.

Apparently queen Victoria gold soveriegns were popular in some countrys for the same reason..... They were considered "Naughty" in some way.

Have you ever seen a sword with a Thaler that doesnt have the restrike X on it?

Spiral.
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The world`s most famous silver coin.
The Empress Maria Theresa (1740-1780)


The 1780 Taler
The silver taler was the currency of the Empire and of the Austrian hereditary lands. The silver taler was very important for trade with the Levant (parts of Turkey, Lebanon, Syria) and the Maria Theresa Taler became the best known and most popular silver coin in the Arabian world. After the death of the Empress, Joseph II permitted the mint at Günzburg (today in Bavaria, but at that time Austrian territory) to continue striking with the 1780 dies in order to meet the demand from the Middle East. The 1780 taler was the only silver coin that the Arabs trusted and would accept. Thus began the long minting history of the "Levantine Taler" of the Empress Maria Theresa. Since then the Günzburg taler has been restruck for trade purposes at Vienna, as well as at mints in Prague, Milan and Venice from time to time. The taler became the unofficial currency of some of the lands in North Africa, and it can still be found today in many Arabian bazaars. This version of the taler became so important that it was restruck even in London, Bombay, Paris and Rome. The "Levantine Taler" lost its status as legal tender in Austria in 1858, but thanks to an imperial edict of 1857 as well as the present laws of the Austrian Republic, the mint at Vienna still produces this famous trade-taler down to the present day.

How Many?
According to Krause, there have been an estimated 800 million Maria Theresa thalers struck since 1780.


Specifications
Diameter 39.5 mm
Silver Content 833.3 / 1000
Copper Content 166.6 / 1000
Total Weight 28.0668 grams
Fine Weight (Actual Silver Content) 23.3890 grams
Fine Weight (Actual Silver Content) 0.7520 ounces