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Auction: 5003 - Ancient, Islamic, English & Foreign Coins & Comm. Medals
Lot: 124

Mhdys (early 5th Century A.D.), AR, 1.59g., half-length crowned and draped bust right with rounded ribbon behind, holding cross on staff, cross behind head, triangle of pellets above, Ge'ez legend ngš mw' mhdys "The victorious king mhdys" without word separators, rev. cross on cusped stand flanked by two wheat stalks joined at their bases, Ge'ez legend bz msql + mw' "by this cross victorious" without word separators, (AC 69 var.; H -), nearly extremely fine, extremely rare Estimate £ 500-700 A new variety of an extremely rare type, only three other struck specimens from different dies recorded, two in AC and P 200. For a vindication of their genuineness see Atkins, Juel-Jensen, Mortimer and Munro-Hay. "The Struck Silver Coins of the Aksumite King MHDYS and the Cast Forgery. A Reconsideration", Spink Numismatic Circular March 1991. For a dissenting view see Hahn, "Aksumite Numismatics - a Critical Survey of Recent Research" in Revue Numismatique 2000 at p.305

Sold for
£1,550