★ An intimate and pious legend ★

Soterichos, spatharokandidatos, 1st half 11th century. Seal (Lead, 21 mm, 10.00 g, 12 h). XЄ O ΘC H/MON O HCЄ / ЄΛΠIZON [૪]/K AΠO TV/XAN ('Christ, our God, he who places hope in you will never fail') in five lines. Rev. [C]OTH/PHXO C/ΠAΘAPO/KANΔH/ΔATO in five lines. Apparently unpublished save for its previous auction appearance. An intimate and pious legend on a Byzantine seal. Struck slightly off center, otherwise, good very fine.

Ex Leu Web Auction 18, 19-21 December 2021, 4024.

This psalmic legend appears very rarely on Byzantine seals, but it is reminiscent of an unpublished 11th century seal in Dumbarton Oaks, naming Kalokyros as its owner, which has the same legend on its obverse (cited by Wassiliou-Seibt, Corpus 2285). Another seal, of a monk and priest named Arsenios, has the same psalmic phrase, but it starts "Lord Jesus Christ our God" (A.-K. Wassiliou-Seibt: ὁ Χριστὸς αὐτὸς σφραγὶς ἀσφαλεστάτη - Byzantinische Bleisiegel aus der Sammlung Gert Boersema (in print), 36).