Watch List notes:

Foreign Medals - HAILE SELLASSIE I UNIVERSITY 18 December 1961, Ethiopia Uniformed bust of Haile Selassie I left. Rev University building, date below.After overcoming the Italian occupation of Ethiopia, Emperor Haile Selassie (r. 1930-1936; 1941-1974), resumed the modernization of his war-torn nation. He began by reopening all educational institutions that has been closed down by the Italians and he degreed the construction of many new ones throughout Ethiopia. In 1961 the Addis Ababa university was opened at a palace that Selassie had donated to accommodate the needs of graduates of high schools he had founded in the countryside. The university brought together various disciplines including engineering, medicine, and theology. Other faculties and colleges including education, law, and arts were added in the following decades.
This gold medal was issued during this transformative period. It is not listed or noted in any catalogs or other monographs we can access. We have also not found a manufacturer's mark or artist's signature, and we have no idea of its provenance. Due to its size, weight, and the language of the legend on the reverse, we are assuming that it was awarded to a high-ranking foreign dignitary or scholar. This object is, therefore, a bit of a mystery, but it is nonetheless an intriguing piece that will undoubtedly garner much interest from collectors of modern African medals. AU 41.8 mm. 42.42 g. RRR In cassette Extremely fine