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Sergios imperial spatharokandidatos and kommerkiarios of Cherson (tenth century)

 
 

Obverse

A long patriarchal cross on steps. In the quarters, small crosses of dots (). Along the circumference, inscription between two circles of dots.

....ηθητσ

Κύριε βοήθη τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

σερ
ι/σπ
κνδ/κ
..κηρ/χ
ρσονοσ

Σεργίῳ βασιλικῷ σπαθαροκανδιδάτῳ καὶ κουμερκηαρίῳ Χερσόνος

Obverse

A long patriarchal cross on steps. In the quarters, small crosses of dots (). Along the circumference, inscription between two circles of dots.

....ηθητσ

Κύριε βοήθη τῷ σῷ δούλῳ

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots.

σερ
ι/σπ
κνδ/κ
..κηρ/χ
ρσονοσ

Σεργίῳ βασιλικῷ σπαθαροκανδιδάτῳ καὶ κουμερκηαρίῳ Χερσόνος

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.1781
Diameter 22.0 mm; field: 18.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 1, no. 82.8.
Alekseyenko, L'administration Byzantine de Cherson, no. 105 (3).
A similar seal, with the same iconography and arrangement of letters, is published by Laurent, Orghidan, no. 256. Cf. Sokolova, Monety, no. 36. It is not possible to determine if the two seals are from the same boulloterion, since the Orghidan specimen is in a poor state of preservation. A very similar seal, from an identical bu smaller boulloterion, is published in Zacos, Seals II, no. 286. Alekseyenko publishes both as parallels to this specimen.

Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore.

Translation

Κύριε βοήθη τῷ σῷ δούλῳ Σεργίῳ βασιλικῷ σπαθαροκανδιδάτῳ καὶ κουμερκηαρίῳ Χερσόνος.

Lord, help your servant Sergios imperial spatharokandidatos and kommerkiarios of Cherson.

Bibliography