Romanos I, Constantine VII, and Stephen (931–44)
Obverse
Half-length representation of Christ, lightly bearded, wearing a tunic and himation. He raises his right hand in blessing and holds a book with a richly ornamented cover in his left hand. He has a cross behind his head, each arm of which is decorated with a row of pellets between two heavy lines. Circular inscription. Border of dots.
ISSXRISS
Iηsus Xristus.
Reverse
Three half-length figures: at center, Romanos I, with a long, parted beard, wearing a cross-topped crown with a jeweled band and a loros, and holding a globus in his right hand. At left,Constantine VII, beardless and smaller than Romanos, wearing a crown surmounted by a cross and a loros; and at right. Stephen, beardless and smaller than Romanos, wearing a crown surmounted by a cross and a loros. Circular inscription. Border of dots.
ROACOSACESR
Roman(os), Constant(inos) ce St(ephanos) b(asilis) 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 with a richly ornamented cover in his left hand. He has a cross behind his head, each arm of which is decorated with a row of pellets between two heavy lines. Circular inscription. Border of dots.
ISSXRISS
Iηsus Xristus.
Reverse
Three half-length figures: at center, Romanos I, with a long, parted beard, wearing a cross-topped crown with a jeweled band and a loros, and holding a globus in his right hand. At left,Constantine VII, beardless and smaller than Romanos, wearing a crown surmounted by a cross and a loros; and at right. Stephen, beardless and smaller than Romanos, wearing a crown surmounted by a cross and a loros. Circular inscription. Border of dots.
ROACOSACESR
Roman(os), Constant(inos) ce St(ephanos) b(asilis) R(omaion).
| Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.51 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 30.0 mm; field: 26.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 6, no. 62.1; Zacos–Veglery, no. 68a. |
| Credit Line | Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore. |
Translation
Iηsus Xristus.
Romanos, Constantinos ce Stephanos basilis Romaion.
Jesus Christ.
Romanos, Constantine, and Stephen, basileis of the Romans.
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)
Commentary
Romanos’s son Stephen was crowned in 924, and the absence of Christophoros indicates that it dates after his death in 931.