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Michael III and Theodora (843?–856)

 
 

Obverse

Bust of Michael III, bearded, wearing a crown and a chlamys pinned with a fibula on his right shoulder, and holding in his right hand a labarum. No visible epigraphy. Incuse border.

Reverse

Bust of Theodora, wearing a loros and a crown, and holding a globus cruciger in her hand and in her left a cross scepter. No epigraphy visible. Incuse border.

Obverse

Bust of Michael III, bearded, wearing a crown and a chlamys pinned with a fibula on his right shoulder, and holding in his right hand a labarum. No visible epigraphy. Incuse border.

Reverse

Bust of Theodora, wearing a loros and a crown, and holding a globus cruciger in her hand and in her left a cross scepter. No epigraphy visible. Incuse border.

Accession number BZS.1955.1.4273 (formerly DO 55.1.4273)
Diameter 25.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 6, no. 48.2; Zacos–Veglery, no. 55c.

Commentary

The portraits of Michael III and Theodora resemble those from the reverse of solidi which Grierson has dated to 843(?)–56 (DOC 3.1:2.1 [pl. 28])

Zacos and Veglery state that they could discern remains of a circular inscription both on the obverse and reverse and that the inscription on the reverse contains the letter P at right. As the blank of the seal was too small to accommodate the boulloterion's dies, this entry excludes that reading as lying outside the field.

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. 3, Leo III to Nicephorus III (717–1081) (Open in Zotero)