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Sergios patrikios (?) (eighth/ninth century)

 
 

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram, reading Θεοτόκε βοήθει; in the four angles, inscription: Τ-Δ.|Λ-Σ. Border of dots.

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ δούλῳ σου

Reverse

Cruciform invocative monogram, reading Σεργίῳ; in the four angles, inscription: ΠΑ|ΤΡΙ|.ΙΩ-ΠΕ|ΝΩ. Indeterminate border.

γ - ε - ι - ρ - σ - ω

Σεργίῳ πατρικίῳ πενω

Obverse

Cruciform invocative monogram, reading Θεοτόκε βοήθει; in the four angles, inscription: Τ-Δ.|Λ-Σ. Border of dots.

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ δούλῳ σου

Reverse

Cruciform invocative monogram, reading Σεργίῳ; in the four angles, inscription: ΠΑ|ΤΡΙ|.ΙΩ-ΠΕ|ΝΩ. Indeterminate border.

γ - ε - ι - ρ - σ - ω

Σεργίῳ πατρικίῳ πενω

Accession number BZS.1955.1.3239
Diameter 25.0 mm

Translation

Θεοτόκε βοήθει τῷ δούλῳ σου Σεργίῳ πατρικίῳ πενῳ (?)

Theotokos, help your servant Sergios patrikios . . .

Commentary

The inscription in the reverse cruciform angles is strange to the point of being incomprehensible. It seems to read (from left to right on top then bottom) παπετρινω; if read from top to bottom on left then right, the first side seems to be indicating patrikios (with the clear letters (πατρι, and possibly the κίῳ written below the τρι), while the other side is corroded, though relatively legible, if not intelligible, reading apparently πενω. Perhaps there is a family name (Πετρίνῳ), though that would be strange in this era, and particularly strange in combination with the possibly abbreviated title πατρικίῳ. Assuming the left side does read patrikios, the right side of the inscription remains a mystery.