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Argyros - Ezanas Crescent
| Issuer | Kingdom of Aksum |
|---|---|
| Year | 345-360 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | ΗZANAC (Translation: Ezanas) |
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Ezanas ruled Aksum during one of the most consequential religious shifts in ancient African history — his conversion to Christianity, likely facilitated by the missionary Frumentius around 340 AD, eventually moved the kingdom's coinage from pagan symbols toward the cross. This silver issue sits in the transitional window, retaining the crescent and disc motif inherited from earlier Aksumite and South Arabian religious tradition before the cross displaced it entirely on subsequent issues.
The gilded silver types of Ezanas are better documented than this series; the plain silver crescent issues remain comparatively understudied, with Hahn's classification still the primary reference framework.