Coin Community Family of Web Sites
Royal Canadian Mint products, Canadian, Polish, American, and world coins and banknotes. Coin, Banknote and Medal Collectors's Online Mall Ken's Numismatic eBay Store US and World Coins, Bullion, and Exonumia. Vancouvers #1 Coin and Paper Money Dealer 300,000 items to help build your collection! Specializing in Modern Numismatics
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel! Check out our Pinterest!
Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?


This page may contain links that result in small commissions to keep this free site up and running.
Welcome Guest! Need help? Got a question? Inherit some coins?
Our coin forum is completely free! Register Now!

Axumite Kingdom Bronze Coin

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.
Author Previous TopicReplies: 7 / Views: 456Next Topic  
Pillar of the Community
chrsmat71's Avatar
United States
4905 Posts
 Posted 01/11/2025  4:49 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add chrsmat71 to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
I've wanted a coin from the Kingdom of Axum for quite a while, and finally picked one up!




Axum, Armah 7th century AD, AE unit
O:Crowned king seated right holding a long cross. "King Armah" in Ge'ez
R: Cross with gilt center, grain ear to each side. "Let there be joy to the people" around in Ge'ez
18 mm, 1.9 g
Munro Hay type 153

I've always liked the interesting art style of these coins and really wanted on that was bimetallic, note the gilt spot on the reverse. Also note the "Ge'ez" legend, I didn't even know about this language. I think it is still used by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church for ceremonial purposed.

If you don't know about the Axumites, they worth a look up for sure. They were a kingdom that spread over areas of what is today Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan and into southern Arabia. Rose in the first half of the first millennium and kind of fizzled out in the second half. They were very wealthy and powerful at their peak and were early adopters of Christianity, you'll see lots of crosses on all but the earliest Axumite coins.

If anyone else has any Axumite coins I would love to see them!
Edited by chrsmat71
01/11/2025 4:50 pm
Bedrock of the Community
Learn More...
Hondo Boguss's Avatar
United States
15747 Posts
 Posted 01/11/2025  4:56 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Hondo Boguss to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Very interesting coin, chrsmat, and congratulations on the acquisition! I was totally unfamiliar with Axum. Thank you for sharing your coin and the history of Axum with us.
Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures
Moderator
Learn More...
Spence's Avatar
United States
32709 Posts
 Posted 01/11/2025  7:27 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Spence to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Yes that is a super addition to your collection @chrs! Among the earliest bimetallic coins I think, although I can never tell if the remnant gold has been applied more recently. Here is a link to an old CCF thread featuring a couple of mine:

http://goccf.com/t/308373

Added: looks like I never got around to adding my third Axumite coin to that thread--an AU Unit dating to 440-470 AD. It was issued under the authority of King Ebana and I have attributed it as MH 71.




I did post it in one of the summary threads though: http://goccf.com/t/412695#3545112
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb

"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
Pillar of the Community
Kamnaskires's Avatar
United States
7053 Posts
 Posted 01/11/2025  7:58 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Kamnaskires to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Well done, Chris. Nice pickup.

Super coin too, Dave.
Bedrock of the Community
sel_69l's Avatar
Australia
21593 Posts
 Posted 01/11/2025  9:35 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add sel_69l to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
chrsmat71:
Likewise, I have been on the lookout for years for an affordable non gold coin from the Axumite Kingdom, to add to my OFEC** collection. You now have one. Congrats.
I still do not.

** One From Every Culture. (across the whole history of numismatics)
Pillar of the Community
United States
1757 Posts
 Posted 01/12/2025  07:51 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add livingwater to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Really nice examples. Mine is very worn, King Ezanas, reverse cross, 4th cent., 11mm, BMC 90, from Henry LIndgren in 1994. Reportedly Ezanas was the first Axum ruler to accept Christianity. There's some Azumite coins on Vcoins, I don't know much about them.

Edited by livingwater
01/12/2025 08:09 am
Pillar of the Community
chrsmat71's Avatar
United States
4905 Posts
 Posted 01/13/2025  12:48 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add chrsmat71 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Thanks everyone, and thanks for sharing those coins, spence that gold coin is awesome!
Moderator
Learn More...
jbuck's Avatar
United States
157664 Posts
  Previous TopicReplies: 7 / Views: 456Next Topic  

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.



    




Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2025 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us  |  Advertise Here  |  Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Coin Community Forum © 2005 - 2025 Coin Community Forums
It took 0.26 seconds to rattle this change. Forums