Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XXII 7-8 Oct 2021
View prices realized
► Sale information
Find similar lots
Kingdom of Axum, Ezanas AR Unit. Circa AD 345-360. HZANAC (retrograde, "Ezanas"), draped bust to left, wearing headcloth; all within double circular border / BACΛCYC ("King"), draped bust to right, wearing headcloth; all within double circular border. Hahn & Keck 26.2 (this coin); SACAM 124 = Vaccaro 37 (same dies, attributed by Vaccaro to king 'Alelan') = AC 42a corr. (not a brockage); H 22c. 0.53g, 12mm, 12h.
Near Very Fine; pierced. Extremely Rare; one of only two known examples.
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);
From the Maekelay-Tigray Collection, reported to have been privately purchased from the Francesco Vaccaro (1903-1990) Collection.
The retrograde inscription of this type caused Vaccaro in his 1967 catalogue to read the legend as AΛHΛAN and therefore identify it as being in the name of a king called 'Alelan'. This mistake was the subject of an article by Bent Juel-Jensen in 1987 who, recognising the inscription was retrograde, argued the Vaccaro coin was the result of a brockage strike (Vaccaro's Aksumite 'King Alelan': A Ghost Laid in Spink Numismatic Circular XCV/8). The existence of this specimen struck from the same dies proves that the specimen published in Vaccaro is in fact not a brockage.
Near Very Fine; pierced. Extremely Rare; one of only two known examples.
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);
From the Maekelay-Tigray Collection, reported to have been privately purchased from the Francesco Vaccaro (1903-1990) Collection.
The retrograde inscription of this type caused Vaccaro in his 1967 catalogue to read the legend as AΛHΛAN and therefore identify it as being in the name of a king called 'Alelan'. This mistake was the subject of an article by Bent Juel-Jensen in 1987 who, recognising the inscription was retrograde, argued the Vaccaro coin was the result of a brockage strike (Vaccaro's Aksumite 'King Alelan': A Ghost Laid in Spink Numismatic Circular XCV/8). The existence of this specimen struck from the same dies proves that the specimen published in Vaccaro is in fact not a brockage.