Letter from Marvin Ross to Mildred Bliss, 1703, 32nd Street, Washington 7, D.C., March 4, 1957 Digital

Handwritten letter from Marvin C. Ross to Mildred Bliss providing her new information about the Dumbarton Oaks collection. He mentions he has an article in the next number of the D.O. [Dumbarton Oaks] Papers on the Dumbarton Oaks (ex. Strzygowski) gold medallion. There was a question whether this medallion was struck or cast. Mr. Young at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston had discovered a new means of determining that. Jack [John Thacher, Director of Dumbarton Oaks] sent the medallion up to him, and it was determined it had been struck.

Marvin explains it is important because 1) It must have been made in the imperial mint; 2) It was part of an issue not a singleton; 3) the issue was made for distribution, probably by the emperor; and 4) This has very great possibilities because undoubtedly other issues of religious medallions were made for distributions. He says that "With such magnificient objects being sent out of Constantinople the influence on widely separated parts of the empire must have been very great. He asks Mildred "Isn't this fascinating?"

Marvin shares his notes on another very delicate and fine ring acquired by Jack [John Thacher] in Constantinople with the eagle and the monogram of a man called Cosmas. He says the last private person to become consul was in 541 under Justinian. The title was revived for the emperors under Justin II (565-578), Tiberius II (578-582); Maurice Tiberius (582-602). He says the consuls, imperial and otherwise held scepters topped with various symbols, an eagle with outspread wings, a cross, etc. However, in the reigns of Tiberius II and Maurice Tiberius these two emperors on their consular coins carried a scepter combining the eagle with outspread wings with the cross showing that this combination had definitely become part of the insignia of a consul.

To return to Justinians reign, in 537, he created a rank at court called [lypatoi?] or honorary consuls. Those had senatorial rank and marched behind the Patricians in the court ceremonies. They were granted the right to wear the insignia of consuls. There are a large number of lead seals [in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection?] with the name and title of honorary consul on the reverse and on the front an eagle with outstretched wings and above the eagle a non-shaped monogram. The same insignia as carried by the emperors on their consular coinage. Schlumberger and others date these seals in the VI-VII centuries.

The ring with the eagle with outstretched wings and a cross-shaped monogram above are part of the insignia of the honorary consuls at the imperial court in Constantinople. This means that Dumbarton Oaks has two imperial court rings -- one the present ring of the honorary consul Cosmas (VI-VII century) and the other ring Jack acquired some years ago of the Patrician Maria, a member of the court at Constantinople in the IX Century.