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Sergios apo hypaton (?) (sixth/seventh century)

Accession number BZS.1947.2.1746
Diameter 24 mm


Greek block monogram. Wreath border.

α - ι - ν - ο - π - ρ -  - τ - υ - ω

Σεργίου ἀπὸ ὑπάτων (?)


Greco-Latin inscription. Wreath border.


dulου ths Teotocου


Σεργίου ἀπὸ ὑπάτων (?) dulου ths Teotocου.

(Seal of) Sergios apo hypaton (?), servant of the Theotokos.


The reading of the Greek obverse block monogram is uncertain; in his unpublished catalogue of the Shaw collection, Laurent gives the possible solution of Ἰωάννου πραιποσίτου (John praipositos), which is eminently likely. Sergios apo hypaton has been chosen here because of how widespread the title is in this period. Doubtless, other possibilities exist as well.

The reverse of this seal is also of note. While it is not exactly a bilingual seal, the reverse inscription is written in Greek in Latin characters.