★ Saint Niketas the Goth ★

Leon Baspates, imperial spatharokandidatos, mid 11th century. Seal (Lead, 20 mm, 7.82 g, 12 h). +AΓIЄ NIKHTA ROHΘ ('Saint Niketas, help'); in the fields, O / N/I-KH Facing bust of Saint Niketas the Goth, in military dress, holding spear and shield. Rev. +ΛЄON/TA R CΠAΘ,/K,Δ, TⲰ RAC/ΠATIN in four lines, decorations above and below the legend. Unpublished in the standard references. A beautiful rendering of Saint Niketas the Goth. About extremely fine.

This seal of Leon Baspates (an otherwise unattesed family name) bears a rare depiction of Saint Niketas the Goth. Niketas was a 4th century soldier who fought in a Gothic civil war that broke out between pagan and Christian factions, and he was condemned to the stake in 372. According to his hagiography, the devil tried to persuade him to sacrifice to the pagan gods, but with the help of the archangel Michael, Niketas put him to flight. Niketas is particularly venerated in the Russian Orthodox Church.