Skip to Content

Constantine VII (27 January–6 April 945)

 
 

Obverse

Half-length representation of Christ, lightly bearded, wearing a tunic and himation. He raises his right hand in blessing and holds a book in his left. He has a nimbus cruciger, each limb of which is decorated with a row of three dots.Two letters of a circular inscription visible at right. Indeterminate border.

.......RI....

[Iηsus X]ri[stus].

Reverse

Half-length representation of Constantine VII, with an oblong face and a long, flowing beard, wearing a crown with simple pendilia, a jeweled band, and a cross. He wears a loros and holds a globus cruciger in his right hand. Remains of a circular inscription. Border of dots.

...SA.A. . .

[Con]sta[n]t(inos) aut(ocrator) b[asil(eus) R(omaion)].

Obverse

Half-length representation of Christ, lightly bearded, wearing a tunic and himation. He raises his right hand in blessing and holds a book in his left. He has a nimbus cruciger, each limb of which is decorated with a row of three dots.Two letters of a circular inscription visible at right. Indeterminate border.

.......RI....

[Iηsus X]ri[stus].

Reverse

Half-length representation of Constantine VII, with an oblong face and a long, flowing beard, wearing a crown with simple pendilia, a jeweled band, and a cross. He wears a loros and holds a globus cruciger in his right hand. Remains of a circular inscription. Border of dots.

...SA.A. . .

[Con]sta[n]t(inos) aut(ocrator) b[asil(eus) R(omaion)].

Accession number BZS.1958.106.574 (formerly DO 58.106.574)
Diameter 31.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 6, no. 63.1.

Translation

Iηsus Xristus.
Constantinos autocrator basileus Romaion.

Jesus Christ.
Constantine, autokrator and basileus of the Romans.

Commentary

A close parallel with this seal is the image of the emperor appearing on the reverse of a gold coin in BNC 2 (pl. 77/11), which Morrisson has assigned to 27 January–6 April 945.

With Constantine VII, Christ now begins to appear on seals with a nimbus cruciger.

The globus might be surmounted by a patriarchal cross.

The reading of the last part of the reverse inscription is uncertain. The coin listed above has the reading "Constant(inos) aut(o)crat(or) b(asileus) R(omaion)," and another seal (BZS.1958.106.575) has an inscription possibly ending in M, although that reading is uncertain as well.

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 des monnaies byzantines de la Bibliothèque nationale (Open in Zotero)