Michael Apokapes, patrikios anthypatos and katepano of Edessa, 1st half 11th century. Seal (Lead, 31 mm, 17.56 g, 12 h). [MHP] - ΘV The Mother of God, nimbate, both hands half-raised before her, palms outward. Rev. ...MXI ΠPI / ANΘVΠ,T, / [S] KAT,Π,N / ЄΔ,CH, O A/Π,KAΠ, in six lines. Cheynet/Theodoridis 17. Struck on a short flan and with some scratches, otherwise, very fine.



This seal belongs to a member of the esteemed Armeno-Georgian Apokapes family, named Michael, who may have been the father of the renowned Basileios Apokapes. Similar to Basileios, Michael held the military command of Edessa, a crucial position on the empire's eastern frontier. According to a seal preserved in the State Historical Museum in Moscow, he later rose to the rank of vestarches and was appointed doux of Vaspurakan. Vaspurakan, an ancient Armenian kingdom near Lake Van, had been integrated into the Byzantine administration as a katepanate in 1021/22.