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Justinian II (692–95)

 
 

Obverse

The Mother of God standing, wearing a chiton and maphorion, and holding Christ before her. A cross potent at left and right. Wreath border.

Reverse

Justinian II standing, with a short beard. He wears a crown and a loros draped over his shoulder. He holds in his right hand a cross potent on three steps and an akakia in his left. No border visible.

Obverse

The Mother of God standing, wearing a chiton and maphorion, and holding Christ before her. A cross potent at left and right. Wreath border.

Reverse

Justinian II standing, with a short beard. He wears a crown and a loros draped over his shoulder. He holds in his right hand a cross potent on three steps and an akakia in his left. No border visible.

Accession number BZS.1955.1.4267 (formerly DO 55.1.4267)
Diameter 27.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 6, no. 26.1; Zacos–Veglery, no. 26b.

Commentary

Coins depicting Justinian II wearing a loros and holding a cross potent on a base in his right hand are dated by Grierson to the years 692–95 (for example, DOC 2.2:7g.1; MIB 3: Prägetabelle 10, nos. 8–9., while seals portraying the emperor wearing a loros appear earlier, in 690/91 (Zacos–Veglery, no. 167).  In contrast to those gold coins, however, the seals did not depict the bust of Christ with long hair and beard on the obverse, but continued with the Mother of God.

The cross flanking the Mother of God at left is set lower than the one at right.

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 6, Emperors, Patriarchs of Constantinople, Addenda (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, Vol. 2, Phocas to Theodosius III (602–717) (Open in Zotero)
  • Moneta Imperii Byzantini: Rekonstruktion des Prägeaufbaues auf synoptisch-tabellarischer Grundlage (Open in Zotero)