★ Conversion to Christianity ★

Kingdom of Axum, Ezanas AV Unit. Circa AD 360-375. ⧾ HZA ⧾ NA B ⧾ ACI ⧾ ACY ("King Ezanas"), crowned and draped bust to right, holding stick, flanked by wheat stalks; Ge'ez letter 'r' above, all within circular border / ⧾ AξѠ ⧾ MITB ⧾ ICI ⧾ AΛHN (retrograde, "of the Aksumites, man of Alen"), draped bust to right, wearing headcloth, holding fly whisk, flanked by wheat stalks; all within circular border. Hahn & Keck 33.8 (this coin) = Vaccaro 22 (this coin); SACAM 132 (same dies); H 21b (this coin cited); AC 49. 1.51g, 17mm, 12h.

Extremely Fine; usual obv. die break. Very Rare.

This coin published in the online Phaidra database of the University of Vienna at: https://phaidra.univie.ac.at/o:1189465;
This coin cited in W.R.O Hahn and R. Keck, Münzgeschichte der AksumitenKönige in der Spätantike, Veröffentlichungen des Instituts für Numismatik und Geldgeschichte der Universität Wien Vol. 21 (2020);
This coin cited in W.R.O. Hahn, Die Münzprägung Des Axumitischen Reiches (Litterae Numismaticae Vindobonenses, 1983);
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.

It has been argued by Wolfgang Hahn that the symbols which appear in the legends of this coin represent a significant shift in the religious beliefs of king Ezanas who evidently converted to Christianity during the second half of the fourth century (see 'Aksumite Coinage Again' in SACAM, pp. 11-2).