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Tremissis - Israel
| Issuer | Kingdom of Aksum |
|---|---|
| Year | 570-580 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Draped half-length bust of King Israel facing right, wearing a tiara and a circular earring. Flanking the effigy to the left and right are stylised ears of barley, a common Aksumite royal device. The Greek legend BACIΛΙ AξⲰΜΙ (meaning 'King of Aksum') is disposed around the bust within a circular border. The portrait is rendered in the late Aksumite hammered style, with schematic facial features characteristic of the period. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Aksumite gold coinage is among the earliest anywhere to incorporate the Christian cross, predating most European Christian numismatic traditions by centuries. By the 570s, the kingdom's control over the Red Sea trade corridor was eroding under sustained Sasanian pressure in South Arabia, and coins from this decade reflect a court still projecting imperial wealth even as its commercial dominance contracted. The "Israel" inscriptions found on certain Aksumite tremisses remain incompletely explained — the name may reference a specific king, a royal title, or a throne name, and scholarly consensus has not fully settled the question.