Sisinnios, magistros, second half of the 10th century. Tessera (Bronze, 20 mm, 4.27 g, 12 h). Large cruciform monogram KVPIЄ RO(H)ΘЄI; in quadrants, CICI-NNIⲰ / MAΓI-CTPⲰ. Rev. Large cruciform monogram KVPIЄ RO(H)ΘЄI; in quadrants, CICI-NNIⲰ / MAΓI-CTPⲰ. Dumbarton Oaks BZS.1951.31.5.2964 (same dies). Nomos 24 (2022), 462 (same dies). Cf. Zacos III 398 (see note below). The third and best known example of this intriguing issue. Very fine.


Our piece may well belong to the same individual as the copper tessera from the Zacos collection which was originally published in Zacos II (no. 701 without a photo), and more recently by Cheynet (Zacos III no. 398). This piece also dates to the second half of the 10th century, and names a Sisinnios magistros, but it has a metric legend of two twelve-syllable verses, divided over both sides. Cheynet proposes a Sisinnios magistros as its owner, who was a high-ranking bureaucrat during the subsequent reigns of Romanos II and Nikephoros II Phocas (959-969), acting as an official in several state departments and being twice prefect of the Capital. Finally, the legend on the tessera of Sisinnios magistros published by Cheynet ties it to the Byzantine virtue of philanthropy, shedding some light on the function of these tesserae, as it mentions that 'whoever has fed the poor, has fed Christ himself'.