Romanos IV Diogenes, with Eudokia, Michael VII and Konstantios, 1068-1071. Seal (Lead, 37 mm, 34.05 g, 12 h). +PⲰMAN S - IC - XC - ЄV[ΔK R PM]; on the right, overstruck by a much smaller boulloterion, ...TON CON [Δ]૪ΛON NI/KHTAN ('...your servant Niketas') Christ, nimbate, standing facing on square dais, crowning Romanos IV and Eudokia, who both hold a globus cruciger. Rev. M - Θ - K-N (?); on the left, overstruck by a much smaller boulloterion, ...CTPA.../ΠΡⲰTO.../CKЄΠЄ The Mother of God, nimbate, standing facing on square dais, crowning Michael VII and Konstantios, standing facing, both holding globus cruciger in right hand and akakia in left. DO Seals VI -.; Zacos/Veglery 92. A very interesting overstrike on a rare imperial seal type. Pierced in the center, otherwise, very fine.


The more common variant of the imperial seal of Romanos IV and Eudokia depicts on its reverse Michael VII, Konstantios and Andronikos, the three sons of Constantine X. This rare variant shows only two figures, both crowned by an impressive figure of the Mother of God, as an iconographical parallel to the obverse. The published example from the Zacos collection allowed identification of Michael VII on the left side through the legend, but the state of preservation did not allow a certain reading of the legend on the right. Zacos/Veglery assumed the figure on the right must be Konstantios, as Andronikos remained in the background during the reign of Constantine X and during the first regency of Eudokia. Indeed, the seal of Eudokia's first regency in 1067 only shows Michael VII and Konstantios, not Andronikos, who was probably elevated to the purple some time after the coronation of Romanos IV. Interestingly, this imperial seal has been overstruck by a much smaller boulloterion. It has an incomplete metric legend mentioning the name of Niketas.