A wonderful gilt silver unit of Ella Gabaz/Wazen Agad
Lot 328
Ella Gabaz/Wazen Agad, circa late 550s-560s. Unit (Gilt Billon, 17 mm, 1.17 g, 1 h). ነገሠአከሰመ ('ngsʼksm' = 'King of Axum' in Ge'ez) Draped bust of Ella Gabaz/Wazen Agad facing, wearing tiara inlaid in gold, circular earrings and pearl necklace; to left, monogram of አገደ ('agd' in Ge'ez). Rev. ✠ነገሠ-ዘየዐበየለመደኀነ ('ngszyʽbylmdhn' = 'The king who exalts the Savior' in Ge'ez) Cross in outline with central square inlaid in gold within distyle arch. Hahn, Aksumite, 69. Hahn & Keck, MAKS, 75.109 (this coin). Munro-Hay, AC, type 126. A wonderful piece, very well struck and with intact gilding. Minor deposits, otherwise, extremely fine.

From the Dr. Stephan Coffman Collection.

The name 'Agad', presented as a monogram on Ella Gabaz/Wazen Agad's silver coinage, literally means 'donkey' in Ge'ez. While this may seem like a particularly unflattering name for a ruler, Christ was famously carried into Jerusalem by a donkey, and it likely had a more positive meaning than we would assume today. The reverse scene, a seemingly simplified version of the one found on the silver coinage of Alla Amidas/Armeha (see lot 323 above), may, together with the legend, refer to the gift of a piece of the True Cross by the Byzantines (otherwise also attested as a diplomatic gift), which would certainly have received a fitting shrine in Axum.
Estimate:
750 CHF
Starting price:
600 CHF
Hammer price:
3000 CHF
Bid increment:
Closed
Minimum bid:
Closed
Number of bids:
Time left:
All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer's fee.

Cookies

We use cookies to enhance your online experience. By using our website, you accept our data privacy policy and the use of cookies.
Cart
Disconnected

Connection lost

You have lost your connection. Because we present current bids in real-time, your browser may display outdated or incorrect bidding information.

Please check your network connection and try again. We recommend refreshing the website to display the accurate bidding information again.