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Leo chartoularios (tenth century)

 
 

Obverse

A peacock turned to r. Wreath border.

Reverse

Block monogram, reading χαρτουλαρίου with letters above, below and to sides: Λ|Ε|Ο|Ν. Wreath border.

Λέον χαρτουλαρίου

Obverse

A peacock turned to r. Wreath border.

Reverse

Block monogram, reading χαρτουλαρίου with letters above, below and to sides: Λ|Ε|Ο|Ν. Wreath border.

Λέον χαρτουλαρίου

Accession number BZS.1958.106.2186
Diameter 20.0 mm; field: 14.0 mm

Translation

Λέον χαρτουλαρίου.

(Seal of) Leo chartoularios.

Commentary

This seal is strange. The monogram is atypical and appears to come from a later period, perhaps the 10th century. The name of the seal's owner is inscribed around the monogram as ΛΕΟΝ, apparently in a misspelled nominative (oddly, in conjunction with a genitive office); the style of the lettering seems to indicate this later date. The monogram itself seems like a later purposeful archaization: the middle bar of the is rounder than occurs elsewhere, and seems to be part of an innovatively placed ligature at the cross section of the Χ.