Byzantine Seals. Seal (Lead, 31 mm, 27.75 g, 12 h), Senachereim, nobellisimos and apo sachle... (?), circa 12th-13th century. [... ] ΘЄ/O/Δω/PO/C - ΔI/MH The Saints Theodore and Demetrios standing facing one another, heads and hands uplifted toward facing nimbate bust of Christ. Rev. +KЄ BH Θ, / AΠΟ CAXΛH (?) / NωBЄΛΛICI/Mω Tω CЄNA/XHPЄIM in five lines. Very rare and of great interest. Minor deposits, otherwise, very fine.
Senachereim is the Greek transcription of the Hebrew 'Sanherib', the name of the famous Assyrian King Sin-ahhe-eriba (745-680 BC). It was also the name of an important family of Armenian origin whose members rose to high-ranking officials in the 12th-13th centuries. The meaning of the term CAXΛH (?) on the reverse is unclear, but it could be a blundered abbreviation of the title sakellarios