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Stephen Kontostephanos (1130-1148)

 
 

Obverse

Inscription of five lines, followed by a cross below. Border of dots.

κον
τοεφα
νουκαιε
φανδεσ
ποτου

Κοντοστεφάνου καὶ Στεφάνου δεσπότου

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots. This side appears to have been double struck.

καικυ
ροσεργν
.αισφραγις
.ουλευμα
.ν

καὶ κῦρος ἔργων καὶ σφραγὶς βουλευμάτων

καὶ κῦρος ἔργων [κ]αὶ σφραγὶς [β]ουλευμά[τ]ων

Obverse

Inscription of five lines, followed by a cross below. Border of dots.

κον
τοεφα
νουκαιε
φανδεσ
ποτου

Κοντοστεφάνου καὶ Στεφάνου δεσπότου

Reverse

Inscription of five lines. Border of dots. This side appears to have been double struck.

καικυ
ροσεργν
.αισφραγις
.ουλευμα
.ν

καὶ κῦρος ἔργων καὶ σφραγὶς βουλευμάτων

καὶ κῦρος ἔργων [κ]αὶ σφραγὶς [β]ουλευμά[τ]ων

Accession number BZS.1955.1.3896
Diameter 31.0 mm; field: 29.0 mm
Previous Editions

Oikonomides, Dated Seals, no. 114; Zacos-Veglery, no. 2723. Cf. Wassiliou-Seibt, Siegel mit metrischen Legenden I, no. 1126a.

Translation

Κοντοστεφάνου καὶ Στεφάνου δεσπότου καὶ κῦρος ἔργων καὶ σφραγὶς βουλευμάτων.

The security of the acts and the seal of the decisions of the lord Stephanos Kontostephanos.

Commentary

Stephen Kontostephanos was married to the second daughter (Anna) of the emperor John II Komnenos about the year 1130. He will have received the dignity of panhypersebastos on this occasion, marked in the inscription by the qualification despotes. He was killed during the siege of Kerkyra in 1148. The seal may therefore be dated to the intervening years. See PBW : Stephanos 17003.

Bibliography