BYZANTINE Lead Seal of Gabriel Stratelates ca.800 Military General Theotokos God

Description

Rare Ancient BYZANTINE Lead Seal ca.800 Early Christian Theotokos Symbol HELP US
Description
BYZANTIUM EMPIRE (Constantinople/Istanbul)
A Byzantine
lead seal
,
approx.
8th
century for official use in some form of ecclesiastical domain. Orthodox Christianity was the religion of much of the near and middle east until the Islamic Ottoman Turk invasion in the 14th century.
These official lead seals to be used on seal waxing envelopes are very evocative of a lost time.
This ancient Christian Symbol or Monagram (spelling
Θεοτοκε βοηθει) Means Theotokos Assist Us (or God Help Us)
Byzantine l
ead seal
circa 8th cent.
Vs: Invocative monogram: Θεοτοκε βοηθει. (Theotokos Assist Us)
Rs: Legend in four lines (Gabriel
This ancient Christian Symbol or Monagram  Means Theotokos Assist Us (or God Help Us) 12.51 g 21 mm or 3/4 inch. Very thick and heavy in the hand it also has the seal of a Gabriel Stratelates, or General Gabriel (Stratelates was a Roman and Byzantine term for a Military General) I have been told by an expert that this would have been used at court as it was made late in the life of General Gabriel.
)
VF.
12.51 g
20 mm
Literature  Zacos I.,  Pl. 257 XXXV
From an old german collection, name to buyer
See the pics
Postage inside ireland  is 1£'s
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