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Æ15 - Endubis
| Issuer | Aksum |
|---|---|
| Year | 290-305 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 1.95 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | ΕΝΔΥΒΙϹ ΒΑϹΙΛΕΥϹ (Translation: Endubis, King [...]) |
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Endubis is the earliest known ruler of Aksum to strike coins, making this issue one of the founding objects of sub-Saharan African numismatics. His bronze series was produced alongside gold and silver denominations — an unusually sophisticated tri-metallic coinage system for a kingdom only just entering the historical record. The motivation was almost certainly commercial: Aksum sat astride the Red Sea trade routes connecting Rome and India, and a recognizable coinage was a practical tool for merchants, not a ceremonial gesture.
Hahn's sequencing places this as the third variety in the Endubis bronze series, distinguished by subtle die characteristics documented through a small surviving corpus.