Seal of the emperor Romanos IV Diogenesshow empty fields
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    SigiDoc ID: s-4DGFZp

    Artifact

    Type
    Seal
    Matrix
    SigiDoc ID: m-HyTspN - PBW ID: boulloterion 435

    Physical description

    Medium
    Original impression
    Material
    Lead
    Shape
    Round
    Dimensions (mm)
    Diam. 34
    Weight (g)
    ―
    Channel orientation (clock)
    ―
    Axis (clock)
    ―
    Overstrike orientation (clock)
    ―
    Execution
    Struck
    Countermark
    ―
    Condition
    Bulging around the edges and slightly off-center to the left.

    Dating

    Date
    1068-1071
    Internal date
    ―
    Dating criteria
    Prosopography, Titulature, Epigraphy, Parallel, Reign
    Alternative date
    ―

    History

    Category
    Imperial
    Issuer
    Romanos IV Diogenes(PBW: Romanos 4)
    Milieu: Imperial
    Gender: Male
    Place of origin
    ―
    Find place
    ―
    Find date
    ―
    Find circumstances
    ―
    Modern location
    Paris (France)
    Institution and repository
    Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Département des Monnaies, médailles et antiques
    Collection and inventory
    Henri Seyrig Collection 961
    Acquisition

    donation by Henri Seyrig.

    Previous locations
    ―
    Modern observations
    ―

    Obverse

    Language(s)
    Greek
    Layout of field
    Iconography with circular legend.
    Field dimensions (mm)
    Diam. 26
    Matrix
    ―
    Iconography
    Christ, standing and facing, crowning with his outstretched hands Romanos IV on the left and Eudokia on the right, who are dressed in imperial robes, each holding a cruciger globe in their inner hand.
    Decoration
    Border of dots
    Epigraphy
    ―

    Reverse

    Language(s)
    Greek
    Layout of field
    Iconography with circular legend.
    Field dimensions (mm)
    Diam. 26
    Matrix
    ―
    Iconography
    The three sons of Eudocia, standing, facing, each on a circular souppedion; in the centre Michael VII holding the sceptre-labarum hand left; on the left, Constantine; on the right, Andronic, each holding in their outer hand a globe.
    Decoration
    Border of dots
    Epigraphy
    ―

    Images

    Seyrig 7a (Inv. 961), obverse.
    Seyrig 7a (Inv. 961), reverse.

    Edition

    Interpretive

    obv
    aἸ(ησοῦ)ς b[Χ(ριστό)ς]
    obv
    1[ʹΡωμαν(ὸς) (καὶ) Εὐδοκία]
    rev
    2[Κων(σταντῖνος)] Μ(ι)χ(αήλ) Ἀνδ(ρόνικος)

    Diplomatic

    obv
    aΙ̅Σ b..
    obv
    1.............
    rev
    2... ΜΧ ΑΝΔ

    Apparatus

    Cheynet, Morrisson, Seibt, coll. Seyrig, 1991, p. 24, no. 7a does not provide a specific critical edition, but lists the characters that can be found in other parallel specimens.

    Legend and translation

    + Ρωμανὸς καὶ Εὐδοκία. / Κωνστάντῖνος, Μιχαήλ, Ἀνδρόνικος.

    Romanos and Eudokia. / Constantine, Michael, Andronikos.

    References

    Edition(s)
    Cheynet, Morrisson, Seibt, coll. Seyrig, 1991, p. 24, no. 7a.
    Parallel(s)
    nombreux, par exemple: Bibliothèque Nationale de France 962 = Cheynet, Morrisson, Seibt, coll. Seyrig, 1991, p. 24, no. 7b; Zacos, 1, p. 83-84, no. 93a-d; Münzkabinett des Kunsthistorischen Museums, Vienne, MK 29 = BBÖ, 1, p. 97-98, no. 24.
    Further references
    No further references

    Commentary

    Le type est celui de la première des deux variétés de nomismata histaména du règne [1]. Mais la sigillographie ne connaît pas, semble-t-il, d’exemplaire semblable à celui de la seconde variété. Ceci confirme que la distinction introduite sur la monnaie d’or était simplement une marque - plus ou moins secrète - de la chute du titre entre les deux émissions (de 18 à 16 carats) et n’avait, par conséquent, pas de raison d’être suivie sur les sceaux impériaux.

    Footnotes

    , p. 7, n. 19.