Episode Details
Back to Episodes
The Aksumite Currency: Africa's First Coins
Description
Before the thalassocracy and the stele, Aksum was already minting the first coins in sub-Saharan Africa. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the origins of the Aksumite currency from the late third century AD, when King Endubis issued gold, silver, and bronze pieces inscribed in Greek. We explore how these coins blended Roman, Persian, and indigenous iconography—from the crescent and disc to the Cross—and how they served as instruments of trade, royal propaganda, and religious identity. We follow the evolution of the coinage through the reigns of Aphilas, Ezana, and Kaleb, noting the shift to Ge'ez inscriptions and the famous adoption of the Cross. We also consider the practicalities of minting and the coins' circulation across the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, challenging earlier assumptions about Aksum's economic sophistication. Join us for a numismatic deep dive into a hidden superpower that spoke in gold and bronze.