★ Of the Highest Rarity ★

Kingdom of Axum, Wazeba AR Unit. Circa AD 340. Crowned and draped bust to right; Ge'ez legend "King Wazeba" around, monograms to left and right / Crowned and draped bust to right, holding rod; monograms to left and right. SACAM -; H -, but cf. pl. 15, i (cast forgery in the ANS collection) and for a gold unit of Wazeba with monograms, cf. 15; AC 16; Vaccaro 16 (this coin). 0.77g, 14mm, 12h.

Good Very Fine; edge chipped and repaired at 8/3h. Of the Highest Rarity.

This coin cited in W. R. O. Hahn, Numismatische Reisenotizen aus Äthiopien in Mitteilungsblatt des Instituts für Numismatik der Universität Wien Vol. 16 (1998), pp. 9-14;
This coin published in F. Vaccaro, Le Monete di Aksum (Mantua: Italia Numismatica, 1967);
From the Maekelay-Tigray Collection;
Ex Francesco Vaccaro (1903-1990) Collection.

Hahn and Keck 2020 considered that the examples available to them for study (Hahn & Keck pl. 19, 16.1-3) could have been of doubtful authenticity, possibly cast, but were not able to examine the Vaccaro specimen (this coin) or even obtain an image of it. Although chipped, broken, repaired and subsequently re-repaired, altering the position of the separated chip, the Vaccaro specimen presented here is obviously authentic and validates the existence of the type.