Michael III and Theodora (843?–856)
Obverse
Bust of Michael III, bearded, wearing a crown surmounted by a cross and a chlamys pinned with a fibula on his right shoulder. He holds a labarum in his right hand. No legible epigraphy or border.
Obverse
Bust of Michael III, bearded, wearing a crown surmounted by a cross and a chlamys pinned with a fibula on his right shoulder. He holds a labarum in his right hand. No legible epigraphy or border.
Reverse
Bust of Theodora, wearing a crown with two triangular projections (only the one at the right is visible) and a loros, and holding in her left hand a cross scepter. Traces of a circular inscription at right. No visible border.
Accession number | BZS.1955.1.4272 (formerly DO 55.1.4272) |
---|---|
Diameter | 27.0 mm |
Previous Editions | DO Seals 6, no. 48.1; Zacos–Veglery, no. 55b. |
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)
- Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, Vol. 3, Leo III to Nicephorus III (717–1081) (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
The portraits of Michael III and Theodora resemble those from the reverse of solidi which Grierson has dated to 843(?)–56 (DOC 3.1:2.1 [pl. 28]).
Zacos and Veglery believed that on the reverse they could read the letters RA at right.