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Alexios III Angelos (1195-ca. 1197?)

 
 

Obverse

A bearded Christ seated on a backless throne. His right hand is visible in an attitude of blessing. Sigla to the left and right of head: (ησοῦ)ς Χ(ριστό)ς. Border of dots.

Reverse

Alexios III standing, wearing a crown and a loros. He holds a labarum in the right hand and a globus cruciger in the left. Manus Dei in the upper right field. Inscription in two columns. Border of dots.

.|ΛΕ|ΙΟΣ|ΔΕΣ|ΠΟ|ΤΗ|ΣΟ|Γ|ΓΕΛΟ|.

[]λέξιος δεσπότης Ἄγγελο[ς].


Obverse

A bearded Christ seated on a backless throne. His right hand is visible in an attitude of blessing. Sigla to the left and right of head: (ησοῦ)ς Χ(ριστό)ς. Border of dots.

Reverse

Alexios III standing, wearing a crown and a loros. He holds a labarum in the right hand and a globus cruciger in the left. Manus Dei in the upper right field. Inscription in two columns. Border of dots.

.|ΛΕ|ΙΟΣ|ΔΕΣ|ΠΟ|ΤΗ|ΣΟ|Γ|ΓΕΛΟ|.

[]λέξιος δεσπότης Ἄγγελο[ς].


Accession number BZS.1958.106.614 (formerly DO 58.106.614)
Diameter 40.0 mm
Previous Editions

DO Seals 6, no. 95.1; Zacos–Veglery, no. 109.

Translation

Alexios Angelos, despotes.

Commentary

In their description of the seal Zacos and Veglery fail to note the presence of the manus Dei. As Hendy notes (DOC 4.1:400–401) Alexios used the family name Angelos early in his reign, but later came to prefer the appellation Komnenos, the family name regularly appearing on his coins.

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. 4, Alexius I to Michael VIII (1081–1261) (Open in Zotero)