The imperial kommerkia of Thessalonica (778/9)
Obverse
Emperors Leo IV, bearded, and Constantine VI, beardless. Both wear crown (with cross), divitision, and chlamys and are seated on lyre-backed thrones. In field above, crosslet. Linear border.
Reverse
In the upper half, busts of Leo III and Constantine V wearing crown (with cross) and loroi. In field above, crosslet. At their sides, inscription: Β. In the lower half, inscription.
ΩΝΒΑΚΟ
ΕΡΚΘ
Ἰνδικτιὼν βˊ τῶν βασιλικῶν κομμερκίων Θεσσαλονίκης
Obverse
Emperors Leo IV, bearded, and Constantine VI, beardless. Both wear crown (with cross), divitision, and chlamys and are seated on lyre-backed thrones. In field above, crosslet. Linear border.
Reverse
In the upper half, busts of Leo III and Constantine V wearing crown (with cross) and loroi. In field above, crosslet. At their sides, inscription: Β. In the lower half, inscription.
ΩΝΒΑΚΟ
ΕΡΚΘ
Ἰνδικτιὼν βˊ τῶν βασιλικῶν κομμερκίων Θεσσαλονίκης
| Accession number | BZS.1958.106.665 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 28.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 1, no. 18.31. |
Translation
Ἰνδικτιὼν βˊ. τῶν βασιλικῶν κομμερκίων Θεσσαλονίκης.
Indiction 2. (Seal) of the imperial kommerkia of Thessalonica.
Bibliography
- Catalogue of the Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and at the Fogg Museum of Art, Vol. 1: Italy, North of the Balkans, North of the Black Sea (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
- Βυζαντιακὰ μολυβδόβουλλα τοῦ ἐν ἈΘήναις Ἐθνικοῦ Νομισματικοῦ Μουσείου (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 2 (Open in Zotero)
- Silk Trade and Production in Byzantium from the Sixth to the Ninth Century: The Seals of Kommerkiarioi (Open in Zotero)
- Les listes de préséance byzantines des IXe et Xe siècles (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantinische Bleisiegel in Berlin (West) (Open in Zotero)
- Le kommerkion d’Abydos, Thessalonique et le commerce bulgare du 9e siècle (Open in Zotero)
- Byzantinische Rang- und Ämterstruktur im 8. und 9. Jahrhundert: Faktoren und Tendenzen ihrer Entwicklung (Open in Zotero)
- Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)
- Les plus anciens recueils des miracles de Saint Démétrius et la pénétration des Slaves dans les Balkans (Open in Zotero)
- L’éparque de Thessalonique: les origines d'une institution administrative (VIIIe-IXe siècles) (Open in Zotero)
- Recherches sur les douanes à Byzance: L’octava, le "kommerkion" et les commerciares (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
The reconstruction of the inscription can be considered secure because we have another, better preserved specimen from the same boulloterion, kept in the Athens Numismatic Museum (Konstantopoulos, no. 2 = Zacos-Veglery, no. 271a).