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Author Topic: Byzantine Seal needs reading  (Read 524 times)

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Offline djmacdo

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Byzantine Seal needs reading
« on: September 19, 2022, 04:40:42 pm »
A friend acquire the following seal.  It is far from my area, and I would appreciate any help in reading it.

Offline Lech Stępniewski

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Re: Byzantine Seal needs reading
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2022, 07:53:13 am »
Why should it be a seal? It looks like an ordinary anonymous Byzantine follis with Christ.
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Offline djmacdo

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Re: Byzantine Seal needs reading
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2022, 04:10:31 pm »
Well, it is made of lead rather than bronze, and it has a typical channel like all other seals--so it in all probabilities a seal.

Offline Joe Sermarini

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Re: Byzantine Seal needs reading
« Reply #3 on: September 21, 2022, 07:08:15 pm »
That is the Virgin Mary on the obverse, with MP - ΘV (Greek abbreviation: Mητηρ Θεου - Mother of God) across the field.

The reverse doesn't match any anonymous folles.

Ideally, if you want help reading it you should post whatever letters you think you can read.
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Offline Gert

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Re: Byzantine Seal needs reading
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2022, 11:36:47 am »
Hard to read this one as there is a lot of damage. I read on the rev.:

+KE ROH
ΘEI [ΛE]ONT,
…PW
KAI ΔOVKI


"Lord, help Leon ... and doux..." The 3rd line will have his court dignity, which might be [proed]ro (proedros or protoproedros if there's an A before). The last couple of lines will have his family name and/or the location of his ducate (a doux was a military commander).
Regards
Gert

Offline djmacdo

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Re: Byzantine Seal needs reading
« Reply #5 on: September 26, 2022, 07:26:25 pm »
Thank you very much.  My friend who found the seal will be delighted.

 

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