★ A highly interesting kommerkiarios seal with three imperial portraits ★

Theodoros, apo hypaton and genikos kommerkiarios of Cappadocia, Indiction Year 4 = 675/676. Seal (Lead, 27 mm, 13.80 g, 12 h). IN – Δ’Δ / ΘEOΔ[ⲰP]૪ AΠ[O]VΠATⲰN S ΓЄ[NI]K૪ KOMMЄ… Helmeted and cuirassed facing bust of Constantine IV, holding spear over his shoulder and shield on his left arm. Rev. AΠOΘHKH[C] / KAΠΠAΔ[O]KIAC Facing busts of Heraclius, on the left, wearing crown and chlamys, and Tiberius, on the right, wearing crown and chlamys, both holding globus cruciger. Apparently unpublished. For the undertype, cf. Cheynet, Kofopoulos 252. A highly interesting kommerkiarios seal with three imperial portraits. Minor breakage on the channel mouth on the reverse, otherwise, good very fine.

From a European collection, formed before 2005.

A related seal from the Kofopoulos collection provides a fascinating glimpse into the use of seals during the Byzantine era. Recently published, this piece was partially overstruck with a new and updated boulloterion the following year, specifically during indiction 5. Despite the overstrike, much of the original design remains discernible, revealing paralllels to our own seal. The new and updated boulloterion, featuring the numeral E (representing indiction 5) in the left field, mentions a pair of kommerkiarioi: Mikkinos and Gregorios, although the exact reading is not fully confirmed. Moreover, whereas our seal identifies the warehouse of a singular region named Cappadocia, the overstriking distinguishes between the warehouses of First and Second Cappadocia.