Zeus Numismatics
Auction 12 28-29 Aug 2020
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Byzantine seal of Konon, tourmarches (possibly future emperor Leo III AD 717-741)(early 8th century AD)
Obv.: + / KO / NW / NOC; Cypress trees to left and right, all within wreath border.
Rev.: + / TOVP / MAP / XOV; Cypress trees to left and right, all within wreath border.
Konstantopoulos, Athens, 231; cf. Zacos/Veglery 899, Seibt, BBÖ 1, 135, Berlin I 169 and No. 819 of present auction, for a seal type of the same individual bearing the higher rank of patrikios, also with cypress trees.
It is very probable that both seal types of "Konon" belong to the future emperor Leo III. Leo, who had the birth name of Konon, made himself a good military career, and according to the sources he was strategos of Anatolikon before he ascended to the purple. The military office just before strategos (general of a 'thema') was tourmarches (a 'thema' consisted of four 'tourmai').
Condition: Very Fine
Weight: 13.40 gr
Diameter: 25 mm
Obv.: + / KO / NW / NOC; Cypress trees to left and right, all within wreath border.
Rev.: + / TOVP / MAP / XOV; Cypress trees to left and right, all within wreath border.
Konstantopoulos, Athens, 231; cf. Zacos/Veglery 899, Seibt, BBÖ 1, 135, Berlin I 169 and No. 819 of present auction, for a seal type of the same individual bearing the higher rank of patrikios, also with cypress trees.
It is very probable that both seal types of "Konon" belong to the future emperor Leo III. Leo, who had the birth name of Konon, made himself a good military career, and according to the sources he was strategos of Anatolikon before he ascended to the purple. The military office just before strategos (general of a 'thema') was tourmarches (a 'thema' consisted of four 'tourmai').
Condition: Very Fine
Weight: 13.40 gr
Diameter: 25 mm