ABSTRACT
In the Zamana Masafent one hardly hears of iron as being a medium of exchange. Gold kept its importance. It was much in demand by merchants but was always scarce and the trade in this commodity was usually carried on in secret (2: p.426; 3: Ill. pp.30-31; 4: p.4lO; 5: II. p.559). The small quantities of gold produced in Ethiopia were exported either by way ofSennar or through the port of Massawa. Anyway. the overwhelming majority of the population of Ethiopia. throughout the period covered by this paper. was so poor that it could not afford to acquire gold. During the Zamana Masafent. as in the past. trade in Ethiopia's markets was usually carried on by barter. However. in the more important trading centres the Maria Theresa Thaler was accepted by merchants. For smaller change people used pieces of cloth. black pepper. blue silk cord. beads and above all salt amole.' Salt. having been essential for Ethiopia's economy (I: p.260; 6: p.214) since the Aksumite period and probably before it, retained its importance in the nineteenth century. The salt amole might be considered to have been the official currency all over the Ethiopian highlands from Tegre to Kaffa and from Wallaga to Argoba (7: pp.260-1, par. 106; 8: II, p.414; 9: IV. p.125) and amoh! merchants were to be found even in the remotest parts of Ethiopia (5: II, p.298; 7: pp.260-2). Taxation and tribute were in many cases paid in amole. For certain articles only the amole was accepted (10: p.261; II: p.170; 12: II, pp.232, 233) and even when barter was practised the
amoh! served in many instances as the medium of exchange. It facilitated the inter-regional trade and was indispensable to the long-range caravan trade because the further the merchants penetrated into the interior the less were people ready to accept Maria Theresa Thalers, while the salt amoh': was always welcomed.2
