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1/2 Siliqua - Gersem
| Issuer | Aksum |
|---|---|
| Year | 580-590 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Siliqua (1⁄48) |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Aksum |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Gersem ruled during a period of sharp Aksumite contraction — trade revenues from the Red Sea routes were declining as Sasanian Persian expansion disrupted the commerce that had sustained the kingdom's silver coinage for generations. The half siliqua denomination itself was borrowed from Byzantine monetary convention, a deliberate political signal from a Christian kingdom that maintained diplomatic ties with Constantinople even as those ties grew increasingly strained.
Silver issues of this reign are notably scarce. The weight standard had already begun slipping from earlier Aksumite norms, reflecting a bullion shortage that would eventually push the kingdom away from silver altogether.