Sale: Triton VII, Lot: 1069. Estimate $750.  Closing Date: Monday, 12 January 2004.  Sold For $1850. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of AXUM. "AGD". Circa 525-550 AD. AR 15mm (0.90 gm). "AGD King of Axum" (in Ge'ez), crowned facing bust; gilt crown / "The King who Exalts the Savior" (in Ge'ez), cross under arch; gilt center. Munro-Hay 126; BMC Aksum 444. Near EF. In addition to the gold inlays, the entire surface of this coin appears to have been silver-enriched. [See color enlargement on plate 20] ($750)

Except for brief periods when Byzantine sources enlighten us, our knowledge of the kingdom of Axum (or Aksum, as later transliterations have it) is scant and plagued by lacunae. Often the sequence and exact names of the kings are unknown to us. The ruler known only from his coins as "AGD" or "ADG" is sometimes identified as Adegu in the references, but there is little concrete evidence for this.

One of the most curious aspects of Axumite coinage is the use of gilding on some of the silver and bronze coins. The amount of gold used would not be enough to significantly change the value of the coin, and the reason for this labor-intensive process remains somewhat a mystery. It is usually found highlighting the portrait of the king or as embellishment of the cross, so it may serve the same purpose as gold tesserae in church mosaics and gold leaf on manuscripts- to reflect the Divine Light shining on the monarch and the church.

For coins of the later Ethiopian kingdom, see lots 1148 and 1149.