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Joseph monk, presbyteros, and oikonomos of the Great Church (mid ninth century)

 
 

Obverse

The Mother of God standing holding Christ on her left arm and flanked by two cruciform invocative monograms. Indeterminate border.

Θεοτόκε βοήθει

Reverse

Inscription of three lines preceded by decoration and followed by a row of three eight-rayed stars. Indeterminate border.


ισηφμ/χ
πρ/ Sοικ/τ
ησμ/ εκκλ/


Ἰωσὴφ μ(ονα)χ(ῷ), πρε(σβυτέρῳ), (καὶ) οἰκ(ονόμῳ) τῆς Με(γάλης) Ἐκκλ(ησίας)

Obverse

The Mother of God standing holding Christ on her left arm and flanked by two cruciform invocative monograms. Indeterminate border.

Θεοτόκε βοήθει

Reverse

Inscription of three lines preceded by decoration and followed by a row of three eight-rayed stars. Indeterminate border.


ισηφμ/χ
πρ/ Sοικ/τ
ησμ/ εκκλ/


Ἰωσὴφ μ(ονα)χ(ῷ), πρε(σβυτέρῳ), (καὶ) οἰκ(ονόμῳ) τῆς Με(γάλης) Ἐκκλ(ησίας)

Accession number BZS.1955.1.4916
Diameter 35.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 5 no. 42.35; Zacos-Veglery, no. 1337; Laurent, Corpus 5.3: no. 1638.

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει Ἰωσὴφ μοναχῷ, πρεσβυτέρῳ, καὶ οἰκονόμῳ τῆς Μεγάλης Ἐκκλησίας.

Mother of God, help Joseph monk, presbyteros, and oikonomos of the Great Church.

Commentary

The same obverse appears on a type of imperial seal issued by Nikephoros I (see BZS.1955.1.4285 and BZS.1958.106.654)

Bibliography

  • Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Volume 5: The East (continued), Constantinople and Environs, Unknown Locations, Addenda, Uncertain Readings (Open in Zotero)
  • Byzantine Lead Seals, Vol. 1 (Open in Zotero)
  • Le Corpus des sceaux de l’empire byzantin (Open in Zotero)