Catalog
Semissis - Ousanas
| Issuer | Kingdom of Aksum |
|---|---|
| Year | 315-325 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Round (irregular) |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | ΑξWΜΙΤWΝ ΒΙCΙ ΓΙCεΝε (Translation: Of the Aksumites of Gisene.) |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Ousanas ruled Aksum in the decades immediately before Ezana's conversion made the kingdom the first state to adopt Christianity as an official religion. The semissis denomination itself reflects direct engagement with Roman monetary conventions — Aksum was actively trading through the Red Sea port of Adulis, and gold coinage calibrated to Roman weight standards was a practical instrument of that commerce, not an affectation.
BMC Aksum #26 places this issue within a tightly documented but physically scarce group. Gold Aksumite coins of this period survive in far smaller numbers than their bronze counterparts, most having been melted in later centuries.