Late Roman Double-Sided Bulla with Inscription

4TH-5TH CENTURY A.D.

2 1/4 in. (165 grams, 58 mm).

A bronze discoid bulla, cut from a larger bronze plaque in antiquity with fragments of Greek inscription; Side A: 'ΦΛΑ [..]/ΟΥΙΑC/ YΟΠΠΗC[..]'; Side B: '[..]N[..]ENΤΙΟΥ/EΠΙCΚOΠΟΥ'.

Provenance

Acquired 1969-1999.
London collection of the late S.M., thence by descent.

Literature

See Entwistle, C., ‘The Early Byzantine weights from Kunszenmarton, Hungary’ in Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, Budapest, 67 (2016), pp.287-300, nos.2, 5, for eastern Roman round weight examples.

Footnotes

The bulla probably belonged to a bishop, probably to a certain Vinkentios (N[..]ENΤΙΟΥ/EΠΙCΚOΠΟΥ = of Vincentius Bishop) and as well as a woman named Flavia from Joppa (ΦΛΑ [..]/ΟΥΙΑC/ YΟΠΠΗC), probably his servant. It could have been used as a weight or as a personal sign to fulfil various activities in the name of the owner.

CONDITION

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LOT 0705