N. (tenth century)
Obverse
A cross, with an Χ at the crossing of the arms; in the quarters, a partially preserved inscription: .Α-Ν.|.Ε-Α.. Wreath border.
.αν.εα.
Reverse
An inscription; two letters visible. Wreath border.
ΦΗ
Obverse
A cross, with an Χ at the crossing of the arms; in the quarters, a partially preserved inscription: .Α-Ν.|.Ε-Α.. Wreath border.
.αν.εα.
Reverse
An inscription; two letters visible. Wreath border.
ΦΗ
| Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.3286 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 28.0 mm |
| Credit Line | Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore. |
Commentary
This seal is strange, and nearly impossible to interpret without a parallel specimen. Both sides seem to me missing large portions of the imprint on their left and right sides, though the flan is more than big enough for the die used; the seal is too effaced to interpret the inscriptions (as all the termini are effaced).The inscription within the angles of the cruciform seems fragmentary; only one letter is visible in each angle, while it is likely that there were at least two in each.
The reverse is clearly an abbreviation for something, perhaps a monastery?