Antiquities Discussion Forums > Seals and Tesserae
Very nice lead seal from Rome?
TRPOT:
--- Quote from: Akropolis on June 23, 2012, 09:52:53 am ---A perfectly normal patina for ancient lead seals.
PeteB
--- End quote ---
Thanks, I was just curious. Perhaps the soil in the southern US is what makes the lead bullets so white.
Vincent:
Exceptional find and interesting scence. Looks like one bust is bare headed and the other laurel. Hard to date and looks to have been a celebration of some Victory. If it is TRAN for Tranquillina as suggested, is it her father, pratorian prefect Timisitheus , depicted? He did campaign in the East against the Persians. Just a thought and hopefully you'll get more input.
Gert:
Thanks for the photo! Unfortunately, even with a higher resolution the letters are very hard to read. Could also be [CON]STAN. In any case, I think this seal is 4th century and that it depicts an Augustus and a Caesar (bareheaded). I don't think an empress would be depicted being crowned by a Victory.
Regards
Gert
quadrans:
Thank you Gert and all
quadrans
Gert:
I checked Leukel and Moneta Nigra for your seal, and couldn't find it there. But really, that doesn't say much because a good reference work for Roman seals is still lacking. Although the lion is a strange addition for Constantinian iconography (contrary to the Tetrarchy), I think the portrait style can't be dated earlier than the 4th century.
For comparison, in addition to the seals in Leukel, here's a lead seal of a Constantinian Caesar from my own collection.
-------
Roman lead seal of Constantine II Caesar AD 317-337
CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB.C; laureate bust right
Victory advancing left, holding palm branch and wreath
13mm; 3.08g; very fine
Apparently unpublished, but cf. Leukel 74 for a seal of Constantine II with a draped bust and Victory advancing right.
Found Netherlands, Zuid-Limburg, Heerlen, near the German border.
--------
Regards
Gert
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version