Ezanas, circa 345-380. 3 Argyroi (Silver, 12 mm, 0.53 g, 12 h), pagan types, circa 345-360. ↃAИ-AZH Draped bust of Ezanas to left, wearing tight-fitting head cloth and circular earring, all within double linear circle within rayed border.
Rev. ΒΑCI-ΛЄΥC Draped bust of Ezanas to right, wearing tight-fitting head cloth and circular earring, all within linear circle within thick circular border within rayed border. Hahn, Aksumite, 22c. Hahn & Keck, MAKS, 26.2 (
this coin). Munro-Hay, AC, type 42a. Of the highest rarity, the second known example. Pierced and with light scratches
, otherwise, fine.
From the Dr. Stephan Coffman Collection, the Maekelay-Tigray Collection, Roma XXII, 7 October 2021, 27 and reportedly from the collection of Franesco Vaccaro (1903-1990).
This unusual issue, otherwise known from a single example in the Vaccaro collection, was assigned by the latter to a king 'Alelan', based on an erroneous reading of the obverse legend, an understandable error given the obscurity of many Axumite rulers. Closer inspection by Bent Juel-Jensen (Vaccaro's Aksumite 'King Alelan': A Ghost Laid, in: Numismatic Circular 95/8 (1987), p. 55) revealed the obverse legend to be the retrograde name of Ezanas, however. Although Juel-Jensen argued that the unusual obverse was the result of a brockage mint error, our coin proves beyond doubt that this is not the case. Rather, the very crude style along with the obverse legend may point to an inexperienced, perhaps unofficial, die cutter.
