Addenda and Corrigenda to Aksumite Coinage
Below are listed addenda and corrigenda to the Type Descriptions and Plates in Munro-Hay S.C. and Juel-Jensen B.,
Aksumite Coinage, Spink, 1995 (henceforth AC). Those already published in the Errata in Spink Numismatic Circular,
March 1996, Vol. CIV/2, p.43 are asterisked.
Sometimes AC assigns separate type numbers to what are only die varieties of the same type; to continue
this approach would be impracticable and in such cases a range of type numbers may be given. For additional examples of
gold and silver types see the corpuses in Hahn and Keck 2020; additional examples of copper types will only be listed if the type is very rare.
Later Christian Period (Ella Amida to Armah)
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Types 115-6 (Ella Amida AV): The Sternberg example is now Ashmolean 385 = JJ 512, ex Spink 13 Jul 2000 /939.
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Type 117 (Wazena AR): Add a variety ex Cortrie 22 Sep 2005 /3305,
now in the Hahn collection, with the obv. bust like type 125 and a triangle after the cross in the obv. legend.
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Type 117i (Wazena AR): Under Obv., there appears to be a symbol - Ge'ez G or Y? - after the cross in the legend.
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Types 118-23 (Wazena AE): Under Obv., add symbols:
- four pellets in diamond shape by forehead (Ashmolean 410 = JJ 479);
- triangle of pellets after legend (Spink 30 Nov 2005 /part 582, not illustrated);
- cross after legend (Ashmolean 393 = JJ 44);
- crescent on bottom of stalk (Ashmolean 391; author's collection).
Add a variety with the obv. Ge'ez legend "zydl l'Hzb" (West 2005), ex Spink
31 Mar 2005 /133, now in the author's collection.
In Comments on the Plates, replace "Type 122" by "Type 118".
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Type 124 (Ella Gabaz AV): BN Côte 53 bought by Côte in 1940
is not the coin stolen from Mordini in 1942 (West 2009).
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Type 125 (AGD AR): JJ 217 (Ashmolean 413) is of type 125 not 125ii.
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Type 125i (Anonymous AR): Roma e-sale 69 16 Apr 2020 /580, 1.13g, from the 'Maekelay-Tigray' collection,
has cross r. of chin.
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Type 126 (AGD AR): Under Obv., add symbol two dots, one above the other, r. of chin (Seaby 1960 /151, incorrectly
numbered 152 on plate, now in an English private collection described in West 2003ii).
On Plates (and in Comments on the Plates) replace reference JJ 257 by JJ 252.
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Type 129 (Joel AR): Under Rev., add the variant legend APCEHXV on Spink 30 Mar 2006 /1110 (first coin).
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Type 130 (Joel AR): Under Rev., replace "N of NGS" by "G of NGS" (see p. 279).
*On Plates transpose references JJ 210 and JJ 392.
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Types 131-2 (Joel AE): Under Obv., add symbols:
- pellet r. of chin by Ge'ez S, Ashmolean 452;
- triangle of pellets behind crown, author's collection and Pedroni 1997 /311 and 320;
- triangle l. of crown, Spink 30 Mar 2006 /part 1112.
Under Rev., replace JJ 382 by JJ 332 and "JJ 334, 335, 336" by "JJ 333, 334, 335".
Under Notes, replace JJ 382 by JJ 332 and add Phillipson 2000/D276 type 131 "almost certainly overstruck on type 134"
and a type 132 overstruck on type 134 in the Coffman collection (USA).
In Comments on the Plates, replace (JJ) 132 by (JJ) 332.
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Type 134 (Joel AE): Under Obv., add symbol triangle r. of chin, Spink 31 Mar 2005 /part 139.
The "G" is reversed on a specimen in the Coffman collection (USA).
Under Rev., add that the Ge'ez legend always appears to end "m'ln" rather than the intended "msln" (Munro-Hay 1984).
Add a variety with rev. cross potent, author's collection; but the description of Godet 2004 /1032 as having a cross potent
on steps is dubious.
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Type 134i (Joel AE): At least another ten specimens are now recorded (e.g. Spink 28 Sep 2005 /365-6).
Some (e.g. Ashmolean 485 = JJ 200) have a small Ge'ez Y before the large Ge'ez Y in the king's name on the obv.
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Type 135 (Joel AE): Add Godet 2004 /1058 ex Adulis 1961, 1.12g.
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New Type 135i (Joel AE): Obv. similar to type 76 obv. but Ge'ez legend "'y'l" or "ngs 'y'l".
Rev. similar to type 153 rev. (Godet 2004 /1059-60 ex Adulis 1962, 0.84g., 0.825g.).
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Type 136 (Hataz/'Iathlia' AV): In Comments on the Plates, replace "p. 244" by "p. 245".
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Type 137 (Hataz AR): Under Obv., add symbol crescent r. of bust (Italian collection).
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Type 138 (Hataz AR): Under Obv., add symbol triangle of pellets behind crown (Hahn collection and Ashmolean 493 = JJ 463).
Under Rev., add symbol cross by chin (V 70 and another in Hahn collection ex Aksum).
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Type 140 (Hataz AE): Under Obv., add symbol triangle of pellets over l. cross (Pedroni 1997 /400).
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Type 141 (Hataz AE): Under Obv., add symbols by chin:
- crescent l. open upwards (Spink 30 Nov 2005 /part 588 and 26/27 Mar 2013/23);
- ditto but r. (Spink 30 Nov 2005 /part 588);
- crescent l. open to r. (Spink 26/27 Mar 2013/24);
- crescent above pellet r. (Spink 26/27 Mar 2013/23-24);
- Ge'ez Z on side r. (ditto);
- Greek lambda r. (Roma e-sale 114 23 Nov 2023/512);
On some specimens (e.g. author's collection) there appears to be a word separator ":" after "ngs" in the obv. Ge'ez legend (West 2001).
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Type 143 (Israel AV): Under Rev., add variant legend +IC+AP+AH+lambda (Morton and Eden 26 May 2005 /1114
and 13 Dec 2005 /444, die duplicates).
Under Notes, replace "silver" by "gold".
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Type 144 (Israel AE): Under Rev. replace "Peace to the people?" by "Mercy to the people".
Replace "Hahn 1984/7" by "Hahn 1984/47".
The BN and Mordini 1959 (Hahn 1983/47) specimens are different coins.
The Hahn collection and Sternberg (Vaccaro 51) specimens are the same coin.
Add: Roma XXII 7 Oct 2021/80, 0.74g (chipped), from the 'Maekelay-Tigray' collection;
Roma XXVII 22-3 Mar 2023/349, 0.62g (chipped).
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Type 145 (Gersem AV): Roma e-sale 69 16 Apr 2020 /584, is the unique Vaccaro specimen, correct weight 1.18g (chipped).
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Type 146 (Gersem AV): *A. 276 and 277 are the same coin (see AC p. 10).
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Type 147 (Gersem AR): Under Obv., add symbol pellet r. of drapery (Pedroni 1997 /352).
Under Rev., add symbol disk and crescent behind headcloth (Pedroni 1997 /342 and 352).
Add symbols Obv. pellet l. of crown and Rev. crescent l. of crown (both on Ashmolean 523a).
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Types 148-9 (Gersem AE): Under Rev., add missing Ge'ez Y to legend as seventh of ten letters.
Move the comment about the vocalised Ge'ez R to the Obv.
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Types 151 (Armah AR): Under Obv., add symbol triangle r. of crown (Spink 28 Sep 2005 /370).
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Types 151i (Armah AE): Add specimen in author's collection, 1.18g.
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Types 152 (Armah AE): Anzani 259 and Stockholm 25557 are the same
coin, presented to King Gustavus VI Adolphus of Sweden by Haile Selassie in 1956.
Add specimen in Hahn collection from the same dies, obv. with a dot added under the throne.
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Types 153 (Armah AE): Under Obv., add symbols:
- triangle r. of cross, author's collection;
- triangle below staff, USA private collection;
- pellet in front of staff (Pedroni 1997 /370);
- triangle of pellets in front of crown (Pedroni 1977 /377 which wrongly describes as behind);
- crescent above arm, author's collection.
The R in the king's name in the obv. legend is apparently vocalised on Godet 2004/1390.
In Comments on the Plates, replace JJ 63 by JJ 83.
Copyright © Vincent West 2008-23
This page is maintained by Vincent West. Last updated 24 Nov 2023