Ella Gabaz/Wazen Agad, circa late 550s-560s. Lepton (Gilt Bronze, 17 mm, 1.58 g, 7 h). ለአሐዘበዘ✠ዐደለ ('lʼhzbzydl' = 'To please the peoples' in Ge'ez) Draped half-length bust of Ella Gabaz/Wazen Agad to right, wearing tight-fitting head cloth and circular earring, holding long and straight ear of barley; to inner right, pellet. Rev. ዘወ-ዘነ-ዘነ-ገሠ ('zwznzngs' = 'Of Wazen, of the King' in Ge'ez) Cross crosslet with central circle inlaid in gold and with X in angles. Hahn, Aksumite, 70. Hahn & Keck, MAKS, 76. Munro-Hay, AC, type 119. Minor scratches on the obverse, otherwise, good very fine.


This coin, struck under Ella Gabaz/Wazen Agad, belongs to a remarkable issue of bronze coins displaying a great variety in control marks and the design of the barley ears and the reverses. The obverse legend, 'To please the peoples', naturally refers to the cross on the reverse, which represents the aspiration to spread the true faith to all corners of the globe, further underlined by the gilding of the central circle of the cross on the reverse. This was the last issue of Axumite bronze coins to be regularly gilded.