{"product_id":"ethiopia-p-57-20231-w-100-birrs-2023-2015-ee-vf-blue-1","title":"Ethiopia P-57 100 Birr 2023 (2015 EE) VF+ (Very Fine Plus)—Castle— Obelisk—Cave","description":"\u003cp\u003eEthiopia's 100 Birr note is a striking piece of East African numismatic history — anchored by two of the country's most iconic ancient monuments on the front and one of the world's most spectacular cave systems on the back. Printed by the legendary De La Rue of London, this is a note that rewards the collector who looks closely.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e blue (dominant engraving), green (background), gold accents\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eEmperor Fasilides' castle in Gondar, Amhara region — the centerpiece of the Royal Enclosure (Fasil Ghebbi), a UNESCO World Heritage Site\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eObelisk of Axum — one of the great monolithic stelae of the ancient Aksumite Empire\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eDenomination in Ge'ez (፻፡ብር) and Latin (ONE HUNDRED BIRR)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eScripts: Ge'ez and Latin\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nbe.gov.et\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eYinager Dessie\u003c\/a\u003e, Gov., National Bank of Ethiopia\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e blue-green (dominant), brown accents\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSof Omar Cave in Bale Mountains National Park, Bale Province — one of the longest cave systems in Africa, carved by the Web River through limestone\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eDenomination in Ge'ez (መቶ፡ብር፡ \/ ፻፡ብር) and numeral (100)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eScript: Ge'ez\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVarieties:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003e2012 (2020) YD\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cstrong\u003e2015 (2023) YD — this note\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-57; TBB B337; Numista N#280485\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Castle and obelisk\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 147 × 72 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e National Bank of Ethiopia (የኢትዮጵያ ብሔራዊ ባንክ)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrinter:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/De_La_Rue\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDe La Rue\u003c\/a\u003e, London\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemonetized:\u003c\/strong\u003e No — \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003edemonetization\u003c\/a\u003e status current as of listing\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nbe.gov.et\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eYinager Dessie\u003c\/a\u003e, Gov.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ethiopian_birr\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eEthiopian Birr\u003c\/a\u003e (1976–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial language(s):\u003c\/strong\u003e Amharic (federal); numerous regional languages recognized\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Ethiopia\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e From the Greek \u003cem\u003eAithiopia\u003c\/em\u003e, derived from \u003cem\u003eaithiops\u003c\/em\u003e — \"burnt face\" — a term ancient Greeks used for sub-Saharan Africans; also linked to the legendary King Ethiopis, son of Cush\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Addis_Ababa\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAddis Ababa\u003c\/a\u003e (city pop. ~3.9 million; metro ~5.5 million)\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Amharic for \"New Flower\" — named by Empress Taytu Betul when the capital was established in 1886\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~130 million (UN 2024) — comparable to Mexico or the combined populations of Germany and France\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1,104,300 km² (426,400 mi²) — slightly larger than Texas and California combined; comparable to Egypt\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e):\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$3,200 (IMF 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Coffee, sesame, cut flowers, gold, khat, leather goods\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e Eritrea (north), Djibouti (northeast), Somalia (east and southeast), Kenya (south), South Sudan (west), Sudan (northwest)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken languages:\u003c\/strong\u003e Amharic (official federal language); Oromo, Somali, Tigrinya, Sidamo, and 80+ other languages spoken across regions\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Oromo_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eOromo\u003c\/a\u003e (~35%); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Amhara_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAmhara\u003c\/a\u003e (~27%); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Somali_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSomali\u003c\/a\u003e (~6%); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tigrinya_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTigrinya\u003c\/a\u003e (~6%); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sidama_people\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSidama\u003c\/a\u003e (~4%); others\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/African_Union\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAfrican Union\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1963 — hosts AU secretariat in Addis Ababa); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1945); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Non-Aligned_Movement\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNon-Aligned Movement\u003c\/a\u003e; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Common_Market_for_Eastern_and_Southern_Africa\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCOMESA\u003c\/a\u003e;\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eAncient Aksumite Empire (1st–7th century AD) — one of the great trading civilizations of antiquity; adopted Christianity in the 4th century\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eZagwe dynasty (9th–13th century) — builders of the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eSolomonic dynasty restored (1270–1974) — claimed descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eEmperor Fasilides (r. 1632–1667) — built the Royal Enclosure at Gondar, depicted on this note\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eBattle of Adwa (1896) — Ethiopia defeats Italy, becoming the only African nation to repel a European colonial power during the Scramble for Africa\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eItalian occupation (1936–1941) — brief Fascist occupation under Mussolini; Emperor Haile Selassie restored by Allied forces\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eHaile Selassie era (1941–1974) — modernizing monarchy; Ethiopia joins the UN as a founding member\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eDerg military junta (1974–1991) — Marxist-Leninist regime; Red Terror; devastating famines\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eFederal Democratic Republic (1995–date) — \u003cem\u003ethis note issued during this period\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eEthiopia Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eEthiopia is the only country in Africa never to have been fully colonized — the 1896 Battle of Adwa, where Emperor Menelik II crushed an Italian invasion force, remains one of the most consequential military upsets in modern history\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eEthiopia uses its own calendar — the Ethiopian calendar has 13 months (12 of 30 days, plus a 13th month of 5 or 6 days) and runs roughly 7–8 years behind the Gregorian calendar; the year 2015 EE = 2023 CE\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eCoffee was born here — the word \"coffee\" traces to the Kaffa region of Ethiopia, where Coffea arabica grows wild; Ethiopia remains the world's largest coffee producer in Africa and fifth globally\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eAddis Ababa is the diplomatic capital of Africa — it hosts the African Union headquarters, the UN Economic Commission for Africa, and more embassies than almost any other African city\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is one of the hottest and lowest places on Earth — averaging 34°C year-round, with active lava lakes and neon-yellow sulfur springs that look like another planet\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eEthiopia has one of the world's oldest Christian traditions — the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church dates to the 4th century AD, predating most European Christian institutions\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe country is landlocked — Ethiopia lost its coastline when Eritrea gained independence in 1993, making it the world's most populous landlocked nation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eTwo Monuments, One Note\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe front of this 100 Birr note is a quiet declaration of Ethiopian civilization. \u003cstrong\u003eFasilides' Castle\u003c\/strong\u003e in Gondar was built in the 1630s by an emperor who wanted to end centuries of wandering — Ethiopia's royal court had no fixed capital until Fasilides planted his flag in the highlands of Amhara. The result was a walled city of palaces, churches, and baths that still stands today as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beside it rises the \u003cstrong\u003eObelisk of Axum\u003c\/strong\u003e — a 1,700-year-old monolithic stele from the Aksumite Empire, one of the ancient world's great trading powers. The obelisk was looted by Mussolini's forces in 1937, stood in Rome for decades, and was finally returned to Ethiopia in 2008. Its presence on this note is not decorative — it is a statement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Cave That Swallowed a River\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the back, the \u003cstrong\u003eSof Omar Cave\u003c\/strong\u003e in the Bale Mountains is one of Africa's longest cave systems — over 15 km of passages carved by the Web River through ancient limestone. Sacred to local Muslims (the cave is named for Sheikh Sof Omar, who used it as a place of worship), it is also a geological marvel: cathedral-like chambers, soaring arches, and a river that disappears underground and re-emerges kilometers away. It is the kind of place that makes you feel small in the best possible way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eOwn This Note\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOwn this \u003cstrong\u003eEthiopia P-57 100 Birr 2023 (2015 EE)\u003c\/strong\u003e in \u003cstrong\u003eVery Fine Plus\u003c\/strong\u003e condition — a note that carries two of Africa's most storied monuments on one side and one of its most spectacular natural wonders on the other. Printed by De La Rue of London, issued by the National Bank of Ethiopia, and signed by Governor Yinager Dessie. A cornerstone piece for any East Africa or world banknote collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGrading is per standard international banknote grading conventions. All notes ship in protective sleeves.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52074904748343,"sku":"ET57-2023(1) (W)VF+","price":2.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/57-2023_1_o-1.jpg?v=1780133946","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/ethiopia-p-57-20231-w-100-birrs-2023-2015-ee-vf-blue-1","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}