Nomos AG
obolos 26 18 Dec 2022
View prices realized
► Sale information
Find similar lots
BYZANTINE SEALS, Provincial Administration. Commerciarii. Constantine, imperial commerciarios of Thrace and Macedon, 821-842. Seal or Bulla (Lead, 32 mm, 22.93 g, 12 h), struck under Theophilos, after 821, Thessalonika. ΘEOFILOS BASIΛEOYC Crowned facing bust of Theophilus, wearing loros; below, indiction date L IH(?); the whole within round wreathed border. Rev. + KΩΝC/TANTI BS KO/MEPK' ΘΡΑΚ S/ MAKEΔ' in five lines within round wreathed border. Unpublished, and unknown for Theophilos. Cf. Zacos 282, & p.189 table 32, for a typologically similar seal of Michael III issued before 821. See Zacos p.189. Extremely rare late commerciarii seal. Extensive crack on the right side, otherwise, very fine.
The Zacos 282 seal which we give as parallel to this piece, is actually issued from the same Constantine as our seal. The first line of the reverse inscription in that seal should be corrected to KΩΝ (abbreviated name of Constantine) instead of [T]ΩΝ. In any case, the present seal remains one of the last, if not the last, Commerciarii seal issued.
The Zacos 282 seal which we give as parallel to this piece, is actually issued from the same Constantine as our seal. The first line of the reverse inscription in that seal should be corrected to KΩΝ (abbreviated name of Constantine) instead of [T]ΩΝ. In any case, the present seal remains one of the last, if not the last, Commerciarii seal issued.