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John II Komnenos (1118–1143)

 
 

Obverse

A bearded Christ seated on a high-back throne, wearing a tunic and himation. He holds the right hand in blessing and a book in the left. His feet rest on a dais. He has a nimbus cruciger; each arm contains a decoration consisting of one pellet. Border of dots.

Reverse

John II standing, wearing a crown and a loros, an end of which is draped over the left wrist. He holds in the right hand a labarum (only partially imprinted) and a globus cruciger in the left. Circular inscription, beginning at seven o’clock. Border of dots.

ιωδεσποττωπορφυρογε.....

Ἰω(άννῃ) δεσπότ(ῃ) τῷ πορφυρογε[ννήτῳ]

Obverse

A bearded Christ seated on a high-back throne, wearing a tunic and himation. He holds the right hand in blessing and a book in the left. His feet rest on a dais. He has a nimbus cruciger; each arm contains a decoration consisting of one pellet. Border of dots.

Reverse

John II standing, wearing a crown and a loros, an end of which is draped over the left wrist. He holds in the right hand a labarum (only partially imprinted) and a globus cruciger in the left. Circular inscription, beginning at seven o’clock. Border of dots.

ιωδεσποττωπορφυρογε.....

Ἰω(άννῃ) δεσπότ(ῃ) τῷ πορφυρογε[ννήτῳ]

Accession number BZS.1951.31.5.1694
Diameter 32.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 6, no. 91.4.

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

Translation

Ἰωάννῃ δεσπότῃ τῷ πορφυρογεννήτῳ.

The emperor John, born in the purple.

Commentary

For coins of John II with a similar dative inscription, see DOC 4.1: no. 12a.

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)
  • Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, Vol. 4, Alexius I to Michael VIII (1081–1261) (Open in Zotero)