BYZANTINE SEALS. Theodoros, Imperial kandidatos & Droungarios of Syke in Cilicia, circa 9th century. Seal or Bulla (Lead, 25 mm, 18.99 g, 12 h). Cruciform invocative monogram formed by the letters of the legend ΘΕΟΤΟKΕ BOHΘEI; in the fields, TΩ - CΩ / ΔΟY-ΛΩ . Rev. ΘΕΟΔΩ/ΡΩ ΒS ΚΑΝ/ΔΙΔ S B'Δ/PΟΓΓΑΡIΩ/ CY[KHC] in five lines. A possibly unpublished seal, with another example, from the same bulloterion recently offered in Themis 9 (2021), 673 which completes the inscription of the present example. Syke could refer to the castle of Syke on the coast of Cilicia which has been under siege by the Arabs in 771 according to Theophanes. Very rare, with only two examples known. Very fine.

From the Perioikos Collection, Switzerland.