Nikephoros I (802–3)?
Obverse
Bust of Nikephoros, bearded. He wears a crown and a chlamys pinned together with a fibula on his shoulder. He wears his hair long at the sides, and the ends are curled inward. He holds a cross potent on a base in his right hand and in his left an akakia. No epigraphy. Linear border.
Reverse
Blank.
Obverse
Bust of Nikephoros, bearded. He wears a crown and a chlamys pinned together with a fibula on his shoulder. He wears his hair long at the sides, and the ends are curled inward. He holds a cross potent on a base in his right hand and in his left an akakia. No epigraphy. Linear border.
Reverse
Blank.
| Accession number | BZS.1955.1.4275 (formerly DO 55.1.4275) |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 25.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 6, no. 37.1; Zacos–Veglery, no. 42. |
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
Nikephoros ruled from 802 to 811. In December of 803 he raised his son Staurakios to the rank of co-emperor. On gold coins issued when Nikephoros reigned alone the obverse shows the bearded bust of the emperor, holding a cross potent on base in his right hand and in his left an akakia (for example, DOC 3.1:1a.2 [pl. 15]).
This seal is very similar to the portrait on Nikephoros's solidus, but lacking an inscription, it is impossible to state definitively that it belongs to him.