AXUM. Nezana/Nezool, circa 480s-500. Chrysos (Electrum, 17 mm, 1.63 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. Well struck and with two attractive portraits. Struck from slightly worn and corroded dies, otherwise, good 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, 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.

Nezana/Nezool eventually replaced the previous 'King of the Land of the Abyssinians' title with the Christian message 'ΘЄΟΥ ЄΥΧAΡΙCΤΙA'. This could either be interpreted as the gratitude of mankind towards God, or as Hahn & Keck (MAKS, p. 106) argue, the benevolence of God towards mankind. The latter interpretation is supported epigraphically and fits well with the rare silver issues of Nezana/Nezool mentioned earlier with the legend 'ΘЄΟΥ XAPI(C)', i.e., 'The grace of God', from which the benevolence mentioned on the gold coins flows forth. Ironically, a crescent is also depicted, formerly used as a pagan symbol on the Axumite coinage, but likely devoid of such meaning by this time.

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.