Leontios. PB, Seal.

BYZANTINE LEAD SEAL.

PB seal of Leontios, patrikios, judge of the Velum, and grand kourator τῶν Ἐλευθερίου (AD 11th century)

Obv: Bust of the Virgin with both hands open in front of her. Inscription: [Μ(ήτη)]ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Θ(εοτό)κε βοήθει τῷ σῷ δ(ού)λ(ῳ). Border of dots.
Rev: Inscription of six lines: Λεοντ(ίῳ) π(ατ)ρι(κίῳ), κριτ(ῇ) τοῦ βήλ(ου), (καὶ) μ(ε)γ(άλῳ) κουράτ(ωρι) τῶν  Ἐλ(ευ)θερ(ίου). Border of dots.

Translation: Mother of God, help Leontios patrikios, judge of the Velum, and grand kourator of the foundations of the Eleutherion.

The term Eleutherion refers to a discrete unit of crown land that was permanently attached in the 11th century to the kouratorikion of the Mangana. Together they constituted the sekreton administered by a kourator or grand kourator (ODB 2: 1156; Oikonomides, Evolution, 138).

Our seal is the first known seal of Leontios, grand kourator of the Eleutherion. For additional seals of grand kourator of the Eleutherion, see Zacos, Seals II, no. 738 (Theodore), 1019 (Nicholas); DO Seals 5 no. 24.2 (John Promountenos); 24.3 (Theodoretos).

Condition: Extremely Fine.
Weight: 15.67 g.
Diameter: 29.9 mm.