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John II Komnenos (1118–1143)

 
 

Obverse

A bearded Christ seated on a high-back throne, wearing a tunic and himation. Details indistinct. His feet rest on a dais. He has a nimbus cruciger. Border of dots.

Reverse

John II standing, wearing a crown and a loros, an end of which is draped over his left wrist. He holds a globus cruciger in his left hand. Remains of a circular inscription at right. Border of dots.

..........τωπορφυ......ητω

[Ἰω(άννῃ) δεσπότῃ] τῷ πορφυ[ρογενν]ήτῳ.

Obverse

A bearded Christ seated on a high-back throne, wearing a tunic and himation. Details indistinct. His feet rest on a dais. He has a nimbus cruciger. Border of dots.

Reverse

John II standing, wearing a crown and a loros, an end of which is draped over his left wrist. He holds a globus cruciger in his left hand. Remains of a circular inscription at right. Border of dots.

..........τωπορφυ......ητω

[Ἰω(άννῃ) δεσπότῃ] τῷ πορφυ[ρογενν]ήτῳ.

Accession number BZS.1958.106.606 (formerly DO 58.106.606)
Diameter 35.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 6, no. 91.3.

Translation

Ἰωάννῃ δεσπότῃ τῷ πορφυρογεννήτῳ.

John porphyrogennetos, despotes.

Commentary

The use of the dative case is unusual as there is no invocation accompanying the inscription. For coins of John II with a similar dative inscription see DOC 4.1: no. 12a.

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 of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, Vol. 4, Alexius I to Michael VIII (1081–1261) (Open in Zotero)