Sale: CNG 66, Lot: 1666. Estimate $300.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 19 May 2004.  Sold For $800. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of AXUM. "AGD". Circa 525-550 AD. AR 17mm (0.96 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 VF, porosity. ($300)

Except for brief periods when Byzantine sources enlighten us, our knowledge of the kingdom of Axum 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.