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Constans II (647–51)

 
 

Obverse

The Mother of God standing, wearing a chiton and maphorion, and holding Christ before her. Her left leg seems to be bent at the knee. A cross potent at left and right. Wreath border.

Reverse

The emperor Constans II standing, with a short beard and long hair at the sides curling outward. He wears a crown with a cross and a chlamys, and holds a globus cruciger in his right hand. A circular inscription beginning at left. Wreath border.

NCONSANI..SPPAV

D(ominus) n(oster) Constanti[nu]s p(er)p(etuus) au[g(ustus)].

Obverse

The Mother of God standing, wearing a chiton and maphorion, and holding Christ before her. Her left leg seems to be bent at the knee. A cross potent at left and right. Wreath border.

Reverse

The emperor Constans II standing, with a short beard and long hair at the sides curling outward. He wears a crown with a cross and a chlamys, and holds a globus cruciger in his right hand. A circular inscription beginning at left. Wreath border.

NCONSANI..SPPAV

D(ominus) n(oster) Constanti[nu]s p(er)p(etuus) au[g(ustus)].

Accession number BZS.1955.1.4262 (formerly DO 55.1.4262)
Diameter 25.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 6, no. 19.1; Zacos–Veglery, no. 15b. For a similar seal see Seibt, Bleisiegel, no. 13.

Translation

Dominus noster Constantinus perpetuus augustus.

Our lord Constans, eternal augustus.

Commentary

On gold coins struck between 647 and 651 the emperor Constans II is represented with a short beard (for example, DOC 2.2:15c [pl. 24]; MIB 3: Prägetabelle 5, nos. 9–22).

On this seal, the lettering of the identifying legend on the reverse is the same as on gold coins.

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)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Die byzantinischen Bleisiegel in Österreich, Vol. 1, Kaiserhof (Open in Zotero)
  • Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, Vol. 2, Phocas to Theodosius III (602–717) (Open in Zotero)
  • Moneta Imperii Byzantini: Rekonstruktion des Prägeaufbaues auf synoptisch-tabellarischer Grundlage (Open in Zotero)