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Æ11 - Ioel long cross
| Issuer | Aksum |
|---|---|
| Year | 590-615 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Ge`ez |
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| Reverse description | A prominent long Latin cross dominates the central field, its elongated vertical shaft extending nearly to the coin's edge and its horizontal arms reaching across the flan. Ge'ez inscriptions are disposed in the fields flanking the cross, carrying the Christian invocation translating as 'Christ is with us', reflecting the deeply Christian character of late Aksumite royal coinage. The design is executed in the characteristic flat, schematic style of hammered Aksumite bronze issues. |
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| Additional information |
Ioel is among the least documented of all Aksumite rulers — no contemporary written source names him, and his existence is known entirely through coinage. His reign falls in the late sixth to early seventh century, a period when the Aksumite empire was contracting sharply following the loss of its Yemeni territories and mounting pressure from Sassanid Persia along Red Sea trade routes. Bronze issues of this period circulated at the lowest transactional level, and survivors in any condition are genuinely scarce.
The MHAC reference range and the BMC spread of over twenty catalogue numbers reflect die variety rather than volume — this was not a high-output mint.