Æ18 - Ouazebas

Ouazebas ruled Aksum during the late fourth century, a period when the kingdom was consolidating its Christian identity following Ezana's conversion decades earlier. The gold-plated bronze coinage of this era served a specific economic function: a prestige-adjacent currency that projected the appearance of gold without the cost, likely intended for trade with inland markets where full gold issues would have been prohibitively valuable for small transactions. Aksumite plating technique was accomplished enough that worn examples are frequently misidentified at first handling.