Armah

Armah was a Christian King of the Aksumite Empire in Africa, who reigned at the beginning of the seventh century and is known to us almost exclusively from his coins. He is probably the last Aksumite ruler who was still mint coins.

In the seventh century, Islam came to power in Arabia, and hence the trade between the Mediterranean and India, trade contacts with the Byzantine Empire thus broke off. Since the coinage had been mainly produced for international trade, they now lost their importance and were set in the following time. The empire went to meet a period of isolation.

The coins of Armah show the ruler both as a bust in profile, as well as a whole person sitting on a throne.