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Maurice Tiberios (582–602)

 
 

Obverse

The Mother of God standing, wearing a chiton and maphorion, and holding Christ before her. A cross potent with an elongated vertical shaft to right and left. Border of dots.

Reverse

Bust of Maurice Tiberios wearing a crown with a cross on top, a circular decoration in front, pendilia, and a chlamys. Remains of a circular inscription beginning at left. Border of dots.

.....RCTIPPAVI

[D(ominus) n(oster) Mau]r(i)c(ius) Tib(erius) p(er)p(etuus) aug(ustus).

Obverse

The Mother of God standing, wearing a chiton and maphorion, and holding Christ before her. A cross potent with an elongated vertical shaft to right and left. Border of dots.

Reverse

Bust of Maurice Tiberios wearing a crown with a cross on top, a circular decoration in front, pendilia, and a chlamys. Remains of a circular inscription beginning at left. Border of dots.

.....RCTIPPAVI

[D(ominus) n(oster) Mau]r(i)c(ius) Tib(erius) p(er)p(etuus) aug(ustus).

Accession number BZS.1958.106.494 (formerly DO 58.106.494)
Diameter 23.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 6, no. 9.3; Zacos–Veglery, no. 7e.

Translation

Dominus noster Mauricius Tiberius perpetuus augustus.

Our lord Maurice Tiberios, eternal augustus.

Commentary

Maurice Tiberios’s seals continue the divergence from the design of coins noted first in the reign of Tiberios Constantine, with the Mother of God on the former and Winged Victory on the latter.  Among both seals and coins are preserved examples in which the emperor’s name is read “Mauricius Tiberius” and “Tiberius Mauricius.”

The  at the end of the identifying inscription on the reverse has the appearance of a vertical bar. The emperor’s chlamys seems to be held together on the right shoulder by a fibula.

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)