| Leu Numismatik AG > Web Auction 28 | Auction date: 9 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 5503 Price realized: 500 CHF (Approx. 568 USD / 528 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | Show similar lots on CoinArchives Find similar lots in upcoming auctions on  |
| Lot description: Nezana/Nezool, circa 480s-500. Chrysos (Gold, 17 mm, 1.60 g, 12 h), anonymous type. ✠CΛΧ✠ΛCΛ✠CΛC✠CNI Draped half-length bust of Nezana/Nezool to right, wearing tiara and circular earring, holding spear in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to left and right, ears of barley, the right one with I across. Rev. ✠CΛC✠CΥN✠CΛX✠ΛCΛ Draped half-length bust of Nezana/Nezool to right, wearing tight-fitting head cloth and circular earring, holding branch in his right hand and with bracelets on his right arm; to left and right, ears of barley; above, cross. Hahn, Aksumite, 39b. Hahn & Keck, MAKS, 48. Munro-Hay, AC, type 81. Extremely rare, only six examples recorded by Hahn & Keck, of which five are in private hands. Some cleaning scratches, otherwise, very fine. From the Dr. Stephan Coffman Collection, ex Roma E-Auction 96, 5 May 2022, 462. When Nezana/Nezool ascended the throne, there appears to have been some unclarity about whether to place the king's name on the obverse or the reverse of the coins. Dies were cut for both eventualities, with the intention of one side carrying the king's name, while the other would carry the 'King of the Land of the Abyssinians' title. Perhaps not entirely surprisingly, the dies were sometimes mixed up, resulting in issues with both an anonymous obverse and reverse (such as this one), or with the royal name on both sides. All these hybrid issues are extremely rare, being known from just a handful of examples. Starting price: 100 CHF |  |
