Skip to Content

Michael III and Theodora (843?–856)

 
 

Obverse

Partial bust of Michael III, bearded, wearing a crown surmounted by a cross, and holding in his right hand a labarum. Circular inscription. Border of dots.

HLESPO

[Miχa]ηl despo[tis].

Reverse

Partial bust of Theodora, wearing a crown surmounted by two triangular projections. Circular inscription. Border of dots.

OO..ES

[Θe]odo[ra] des[pyna].

Obverse

Partial bust of Michael III, bearded, wearing a crown surmounted by a cross, and holding in his right hand a labarum. Circular inscription. Border of dots.

HLESPO

[Miχa]ηl despo[tis].

Reverse

Partial bust of Theodora, wearing a crown surmounted by two triangular projections. Circular inscription. Border of dots.

OO..ES

[Θe]odo[ra] des[pyna].

Accession number BZS.1955.1.4284 (formerly DO 55.1.4284)
Diameter 30.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 6, no. 48.3.
Zacos-Veglery, no. 55a (different readings).

Translation

Miχaηl despotis.
Θeodora despyna.

Michael, despotes.
Theodora, despoina.

Commentary

The portraits of Michael III and Theodora resemble those from the reverse of solidi which Grierson has dated to 843(?)–56 (DOC 3.1:2.1 [pl. 28]).

The transcription of the inscriptions reflects the orthography found on Theophilos’s class 5 gold coins (DOC 3.1:5) and Michael III’s class 1 solidi (DOC 3.1:1).

Zacos and Veglery read the inscription on the obverse as HL-bASRO, but one may be reasonably certain that the initial letter after the name is d. They read the inscription on the reverse as EOdO-RAdE. At left, one can see only the letters OdO, and the letters RA are not visible at right. Ébersolt (Sceaux, no. 4) has published a specimen that he has attributed to Michael III and Theodora. Unfortunately the side with Michael is badly worn. On the other side (pl. VII) one sees a half-length representation of Theodora holding a globus cruciger, with partial remains of a circular inscription at right: *ΘEOdO: Θeodo[ra . . .

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)
  • Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection, Vol. 3, Leo III to Nicephorus III (717–1081) (Open in Zotero)