★ Imperial seal of Herakleios and Herakleios Constantine (ca. 616–ca. 625) ★

Obv.: The Mother of God standing, wearing a chiton and maphorion, and holding Christ before
her. A cross potent with an elongated vertical shaft at left and right. Wreath border.
Rev.: Bust of Herakleios at left, and a smaller bust of Herakleios Constantine at right. Each
wears a crown with a cross and a chlamys fastened with a fibula on the right shoulder.
Herakleios is shown with a beard of medium length and Herakleios Constantine beardless.
Herakleios wears his hair long at the sides; while the left sidelock hair is combed down and
outward, the right one curls inward. Traces of a circular inscription beginning at left, [D(omini)
n(ostri) H[eraclius et Hera(clius) Cons]t(antinus) p(er)p(etui) aug(usti). Wreath border.
Translation of inscription: Domini nostri Heraclius et Heraclius Constantinus perpetui
augusti (Our lords Herakleios and Herakleios Constantine, eternal augusti).
Commentary: On the seals dated ca. 616–ca. 625, Herakleios has a longer beard and
Herakleios Constantine’s bust is now somewhat larger than on earlier specimens. Dating
follows the numismatic evidence. Seibt (Bleisiegel, 69) has employed the following criteria for
classifying and dating seals, from ca. 616–ca. 625, with representations of Herakleios and
Herakleios Constantine. (1) ca. 616–ca. 625: the imperial hair style changes, as the ends now
curl outward; the Virgin’s right foot supports her weight. (2) ca. 620–25: Herakleios’s beard is
longer and thicker. The cross flanking the Mother of God at right is set lower than the one at
left. One can discern that, as on coins, the imperial crown has a cross on a circlet.
Cf. DO Seals 6, no. 14 (several specimens).

Weight:16,5 gr Diameter:29,8 mm