The solid gold Imperial Order of the Star of Ethiopia used to be in the possession of Ras Desta Damtew, a son-in-law of Emperor Haile Selassie and a guerrilla army commander whose capture and execution in 1937 spelled the end of Ethiopia's resistance to fascist Italy's occupation.
Its whereabouts were unknown until last month, when it was offered for sale with a top estimate of €90,000 (£74,000) by the Swiss-registered company La Galerie Numismatique.
The listing did not hide the item's controversial provenance, describing the medal as coming "from the estate of an Italian soldier who was present at [Damtew's] capture".
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 23, 2024-Ausgabe von The Guardian.
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