Anonymous, 11th century. Seal (Lead, 30 mm, 16.92 g, 12 h). Θ / Δ/H/M/H-T/P/I - H... - ΠPOΔIK[A]CH ("St. Demetrios - ...foresee") Saint Demetrios standing facing, nimbate, holding spear in his right hand and resting his left on shield. Rev. Θ / Θ/Є-O/Δ/Ⲱ/P - +TVΠOC - CΦPAΓIC ('Saint Theodore - Imprint - Seal') Saint Theodore, nimbate, standing facing, holding spear in his right hand and resting his left on shield. Unpublished in the standard references. A dramatic overstrike. Minor surface surface cracks, otherwise, good very fine.


This seal was overstruck on a large seal that bore the image of a standing Saint George on its obverse. Part of the sigla, the nimbus and spear can still be seen, upside down, on the reverse. The name of the owner of the undertype is obscured, but he may have been a proedros and strategos (ΠPO / TPA can be read on the obverse). The legends on the overtype are intriguing. The word ΠPOΔIK[A]CH can be read on the obverse, but who or what is foreseeing remains unclear. The reverse has the words TVΠOC and CΦPAΓIC in the legend, which may be taken to mean that the image of Saint Theodore is the imprint literally and the saint himself is the seal metaphorically.