Born on August 17, 1844 in Ankobar, Soa, Ethiopia, died on December 12, 1913 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Place of residence: II. Menelik Mausoleum, Baeta Le Mariam Monastery Church, Addis Ababa. II. Menelik, originally known as Sahle Mariam, Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Soa, was one of the greatest rulers of the Ethiopian Empire. He achieved great conquests and stopped the Italians at the Battle of Adu in 1896. Thanks to this event, only Ethiopia was able to maintain its independence in Africa, next to Liberia. Menelik was a descendant of the ancient Soai ruling family. The founders of the dynasty, Aszfa Vosszen and Sahla Szelasse, the negus, brought Soa and the Oromo population settled there under Amharic rule. His father, Hajla-Malakot, died during Tevodrosz's campaign in 1855. However, Menelik refused to submit to Tevodros, so he fled. He was captured later, but managed to escape, and that's when his reign in Soa began. Menelik is the last Ethiopian ruler, whose name is associated with significant conquests and the expansion of the empire's borders. He pacified the Oromo territories settled in Soa and conquered by his ancestors. In the southwest, in the province of Welega, the Gurages also resisted armed, but Menelik continued to expand. This is how it happened that only Ethiopia could maintain its independence in Africa. Among his spouses were Altas, Emjat Bafana and Taitu. Menelik II was married three times, but he had no officially recognized children from any of his wives. However, he is famous for having fathered numerous children by several women who were not his wives, and claimed three of them as his own. His extramarital relationships were also important in his life, and the children born from them also became part of his family. Among his children is Empress Zauditu. Menelik was a memorable ruler who shaped Ethiopia in a decisive way throughout history.

II. During the reign of the Ethiopian Emperor Menelik from 1889-1913, Ethiopia's economy and finances developed significantly. In 1893, the emperor introduced the imperial currency called the birr, which was used to replace the local money used in the feudal system. The birr was initially made of silver, but later coins were also minted in gold and copper. During the emperor's reign, many new mints were also opened to meet the growing demand. The mints minted coins of silver, gold and copper. Silver coins were the basis of the birr, while gold coins were of higher value and were used for investments. And copper coins were used for lower value purchases. Menelik's minting was an important milestone in the modernization of Ethiopia. The introduction of the birr and the development of the financial system helped the emperor to strengthen the empire and increase trade.