The Ethiopian currency is the birr, with 1 birr divided into 100 santim. It was introduced in 1894 and in commerce with overseas sometimes called dollar or taler. Ethiopian coins are dated by the Ethiopian Era calendar (EE) that commenced seven years and eight months later than the Gregorian calendar. The lion on the obverse of this coin is an old symbol of Ethiopia. It is the Lion of Juda, for Ethiopian legend had it that the Ethiopian emperors were direct descendants of Melenik, the son of King Solomon from the tribe of Juda, and of the Queen of Sheba.