Nezana/Nezool, circa 480s-500. Chrysos (Gold, 17 mm, 1.62 g, 12 h), anonymous type. ✠CΛΧ✠ΛCΛ✠CΛC✠CNI Draped half-length bust of Nezana/Nezool to right, wearing tiara and circular earring, holding spear in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to inner right, downwards B; to left and right, ears of barley. Rev. ✠CΛC✠CΥN✠CΛX✠ΛCΛ Draped half-length bust of Nezana/Nezool to right, wearing tight-fitting head cloth and circular earring, holding branch in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to left and right, ears of barley; above, cross. Hahn, Aksumite, 39a. Hahn & Keck, MAKS, 47. Munro-Hay, AC, type 81. Extremely rare, only six examples recorded by Hahn & Keck, of which five are in private hands. Struck from slightly worn and corroded dies, otherwise, good very fine.
From the Dr. Stephan Coffman Collection, ex Leu Web Auction 18, 19-21 December 2021, 4071.
When Nezana/Nezool ascended the throne, there appears to have been some unclarity about whether to place the king's name on the obverse or the reverse of the coins. Dies were cut for both eventualities, with the intention of one side carrying the king's name, while the other would carry the 'King of the Land of the Abyssinians' title. Perhaps not entirely surprisingly, the dies were sometimes mixed up, resulting in issues with both an anonymous obverse and reverse (such as this one and the next lot), or with the royal name on both sides (such as lot 311 below). All these hybrid issues are extremely rare, being known from just a handful of examples.
Leu, okt. 2023, lot 309, 1700 CHF (Euro 1789)
Nezana/Nezool, circa 480s-500. Chrysos (Gold, 17 mm, 1.63 g, 11 h), anonymous type. ✠CΛΧ✠ΛCΛ✠CΛC✠CNI Draped half-length bust of Nezana/Nezool to right, wearing tiara and circular earring, holding spear in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to left and right, ears of barley, the right one with I across. Rev. ✠CΛC✠CΥN✠CΛX✠ΛCΛ Draped half-length bust of Nezana/Nezool to right, wearing tight-fitting head cloth and circular earring, holding branch in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to left and right, ears of barley; above, cross. Hahn, Aksumite, 39b ( this coin cited ). Hahn & Keck, MAKS, 48.1 = Vaccaro 36 = Phaidra 1190114 ( this coin ). Munro-Hay, AC, type 81 ( this coin cited ). Extremely rare, just six examples recorded by Hahn & Keck. Struck from somewhat worn dies and with minor deposits, otherwise, good very fine.
From the Dr. Stephan Coffman Collection, the Maekelay-Tigray Collection, Roma XXII, 7 October 2021, 55, and from the collection of Francesco Vaccaro (1903-1990).
Leu, okt. 2023, lot 310, 2200 CHF (Euro 2315)
Nezana/Nezool, circa 480s-500. Chrysos (Gold, 19 mm, 1.65 g, 12 h). HЄZAHΛ BACCΛЄYC Draped half-length bust of Nezana/Nezool to right, wearing tiara and circular earring, holding spear in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to left and right, ears of barley; above, cross. Rev. NЄZANA BACCΛЄΥC Draped half-length bust of Nezana/Nezool to right, wearing tight-fitting head cloth and circular earring, holding branch in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to left and right, ears of barley; above, cross. Hahn, Aksumite, 38a ( this coin cited ). Hahn & Keck, MAKS, 51.1 = Vaccaro 46 = Phaidra 1190126 ( this coin ). Munro-Hay, AC, type 77 ( this coin cited ). An extremely rare hybrid issue, just seven examples recorded by Hahn & Keck. Struck from slightly worn dies and with a flan crack, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.
From the Dr. Stephan Coffman Collection, the Maekelay-Tigray Collection, Roma XXII, 7 October 2021, 56, and from the collection of Francesco Vaccaro (1903-1990).
Leu, okt. 2023, lot 311, 4200 CHF (Euro 4419)
Nezana/Nezool, circa 480s-500. Chrysos (Gold, 17 mm, 1.61 g, 12 h). ΘЄΟΥ Є-ΥΧΛΡΙCΤΙΛ Draped half-length bust of Nezana/Nezool to right, wearing tiara and circular earring, holding spear in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to inner right, crescent; to left and right, ears of barley; above, cross. Rev. ΗЄΖΛΗ-Λ ΒVCIΛЄΥC Draped half-length bust of Nezana/Nezool to right, wearing tight-fitting head cloth and circular earring, holding branch in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to left and right, ears of barley; above, cross. Hahn, Aksumite, 38b. Hahn & Keck, MAKS, 52. Munro-Hay, AC, type 79. Extremely rare, the fourth example recorded with a crescent on the obverse, and among the best known for the type. The flan slightly wavy, otherwise, extremely fine.
From the Dr. Stephan Coffman Collection, ex Baldwin's of St. James 40, 21 November 2019, 15.
Nezana/Nezool eventually replaced the previous 'King of the Land of the Abyssinians' title with the Christian message 'ΘЄΟΥ ЄΥΧAΡΙCΤΙA'. This could either be interpreted as the gratitude of mankind towards God, or as Hahn & Keck (MAKS, p. 106) argue, the benevolence of God towards mankind. The latter interpretation is supported epigraphically and fits well with the rare silver issues of Nezana/Nezool (see lot 315 below) with the legend 'ΘЄΟΥ XAPI(C)', i.e., 'The grace of God', from which the benevolence mentioned on the gold coins flows forth. Ironically, a crescent is also depicted, formerly used as a pagan symbol on the Axumite coinage, but likely devoid of such meaning by this time.
Leu, okt. 2023, lot 312, 4200 CHF (Euro 4419)
Nezana/Nezool, circa 480s-500. Chrysos (Gold, 17 mm, 1.64 g, 12 h). [Θ]ЄΟΥ Є-ΥΧΑΡΙCΤΙΛ Draped half-length bust of Nezana/Nezool to right, wearing tiara and circular earring, holding spear in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to left and right, ears of barley; above, cross. Rev. ΗЄΖΛΗΛ ΒΛCIΛЄΥC Draped half-length bust of Nezana/Nezool to right, wearing tight-fitting head cloth and circular earring, holding branch in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to left and right, ears of barley; above, cross. Hahn, Aksumite, 38b. Hahn & Keck, MAKS, 52.10 ( this coin ). Munro-Hay, AC, type 79. Extremely rare, just twelve examples recorded by Hahn & Keck, of which ten in private hands. A fascinating type with an overt Christian legend on the obverse. Struck from slightly worn dies, otherwise, good very fine.
From the Dr. Stephan Coffman Collection, ex Baldwin's FPL, autumn 2018, 43, and from the collection of Dr. Lawrence A. Adams, Classical Numismatic Group 100, 7 October 2015, 326, ex Morton & Eden, 18 April 2002, 37.
For the interpretation of the legend on the obverse, see the previous lot.
Leu, okt. 2023, lot 313, 2700 CHF (Euro 2841)
Nezana/Nezool, circa 480s-500. Chrysos (Electrum, 17 mm, 1.60 g, 12 h). ΘЄΟΥ Є-ΥΧAΡΙCΤΙΛ Draped half-length bust of Nezana/Nezool to right, wearing tiara and circular earring, holding spear in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to left and right, ears of barley; above, cross. Rev. ΒΛCIΛЄ-ΥC NЄZ ΟⲰ Λ Draped half-length bust of Nezana/Nezool to right, wearing tight-fitting head cloth and circular earring, holding branch in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to left and right, ears of barley; above, cross. Hahn, Aksumite, 38d. Hahn & Keck, MAKS, 54. Munro-Hay, AC, type 82. A well struck and attractive example of this fascinating issue. The flan slightly wavy and with some edge bumps, otherwise, very fine.
From the Dr. Stephan Coffman Collection.
Nezana/Nezool's coinage rather curiously employs two names for the same king. While a coregency is not impossible, more likely is that we are dealing with two names for the same king, based on argyroi carrying Nezana's name in Greek on the obverse coupled with a monogram of Nezool in Ge'ez over the king's head (see lot 315 below), strongly implying that both refer to the same figure. Turning back to the gold coinage, perhaps one die cutter continued the naming convention of Ebana, while the other opted to render the king's name as it was actually pronounced.
While little is known of Nezana/Nezool's reign, the chronicle of the Roman author, Marcellinus Comes, mentions that in 496, Anastasius received an elephant and two giraffes as a gift 'from India'. Of course, giraffes did not naturally occur in India in historical times, and the passage more likely refers to an African, perhaps Axumite, present instead. Rather than Marcellinus being misinformed, however, the broad use of the term 'India' for remote 'overseas' (from the perspective of Mediterranean seafarers) lands to the far south and east was not uncommon, much like 'Libya' could refer to all kinds of regions in Africa, not least to the continent as a whole.
Leu, okt. 2023, lot 314, 1600 CHF (Euro 1683)