Nezana/Nezool, circa 480s-500. Chrysos (Electrum, 17 mm, 1.60 g, 12 h). ΘЄΟΥ Є-ΥΧAΡΙCΤΙΛ Draped half-length bust of Nezana/Nezool to right, wearing tiara and circular earring, holding spear in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to left and right, ears of barley; above, cross. Rev. ΒΛCIΛЄ-ΥC NЄZΟⲰΛ Draped half-length bust of Nezana/Nezool to right, wearing tight-fitting head cloth and circular earring, holding branch in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to left and right, ears of barley; above, cross. Hahn, Aksumite, 38d. Hahn & Keck, MAKS, 54. Munro-Hay, AC, type 82. A well struck and attractive example of this fascinating issue. The flan slightly wavy and with some edge bumps, otherwise, very fine.


Nezana/Nezool's coinage rather curiously employs two names for the same king. While a coregency is not impossible, more likely is that we are dealing with two names for the same king, based on argyroi carrying Nezana's name in Greek on the obverse coupled with a monogram of Nezool in Ge'ez over the king's head (see lot 315 below), strongly implying that both refer to the same figure. Turning back to the gold coinage, perhaps one die cutter continued the naming convention of Ebana, while the other opted to render the king's name as it was actually pronounced.

While little is known of Nezana/Nezool's reign, the chronicle of the Roman author, Marcellinus Comes, mentions that in 496, Anastasius received an elephant and two giraffes as a gift 'from India'. Of course, giraffes did not naturally occur in India in historical times, and the passage more likely refers to an African, perhaps Axumite, present instead. Rather than Marcellinus being misinformed, however, the broad use of the term 'India' for remote 'overseas' (from the perspective of Mediterranean seafarers) lands to the far south and east was not uncommon, much like 'Libya' could refer to all kinds of regions in Africa, not least to the continent as a whole.