Takács Imre: Az Árpád-házi királyok pecsétjei (Corpus sigillorum hungariae mediaevalis 1. Budapest, 2012)
Catalogue
12. Géza II(1141-1162) Great seal diám: 111) mm The image matches those on the royal seals of Béla II and Stephen III. The form and size of the figure and insignia and the distance of the orb and sceptre from the figure can be measured quite accurately, supporting the hypothesis that all three seals used the same die. The size of the legend and the form of the lettering also confirms the link with Béla IPs seal (one known specimen) and Géza IPs great seal. Its use is mentioned in an 1146 document: Et utfirmius roboretur, regium sigillum adhibetur sub testimonio procerum, quorum nomina hie notatur ... nótárius regis Barnabas, huius cartule scriptor et sigillator. (PBFL c. 6 B; PRTl, p. 599); in a charter of grant to Lady Margaret in 1152: Scriptor vero huius cartule Barnabas, sigillator Nicolaus. (PBFL c. 38 A; PRTl, p. 601; CAH, p. 58); c. 1151: ... regio signo signati firmiter sancciuit... (PBFL: fragment of wax seal stored in separate case; PRTl, p. 602; CAH, p. 56); in 1152: ... hac sigillo regie maiestatis muniuit. (Veszprém, Kápt. mit. Eccl. et Capit. n. 3; CAH, p. 57); and in the 1157 royal charter confirming ispán Valfer’s foundation of Küszén: ... et idem iussu regis regali et totius regni sigillo principali roboravit. (PRTl, p. 604.) A beaded line separates the legend from the field: GEISA D(E)I [GRATIA HVNGARIE DJALMATIE ATQ(VE) CROVATIE REX Originals: Pannonhalma, Benedictine Archabbey Archives, c. 6 B. (1146) Pannonhalma, Benedictine Archabbey Archives, c. 38 A. (1152) Esztergom, Cathedral Chapter Archives, LI-5. (1157-58) Copies: Budapest History Museum, inv. no. 66.1873-74. Budapest, Hungarian National Archives, VI 9-10. Miller, p. 1; Horváth 1835, pp. 4-7; MonStrig I, p. 116, Tab. V; Fcjérpataky 1892, p. 135; Marczali 1896, fig. p. 290; Czobor - Szalay 1896, p. 23; Forster 1900, p. 231; Áldássy 1902, p. 328, fig. 209; Bartoniek 1924, p. 26; Gerevich 1938, p. 210; Marsina I, p. 361, Tab. XVIII/1; Megpecsételt történelem, p. 20; Rainer 2000, pp. 79-80; Bodor 2001, p. 5, fig. 13. 13. Géza II(1141-1162) Lead bulla east, pressed lead, 33-37 x 11 mm Irregular lead disc with impression on both sides. The only known specimen is attached to an 1158 charter granting the estates of Nana and Cocot to the Esztergom Chapter, which also mentions its use: ... piacúit scripto commendare et sigilli mei inpressione confirmare. (Esztergom, FL 31-1-1; CAH, p. 63) Ewald (Ewald 1914, p. 123) mentioned another specimen as being held in the Hungarian National Museum, but the legend on the reverse differs from the Esztergom seal. Emma Bartoniek identified one precursor as the imperial gold seal of Frederick Barbarossa ( Posse I, p. 21/3), which has a half-length figure of the emperor above walls and towers representing Rome. It is more reasonable, however, to interpret the rhombus on Géza II’s lead seal, decorated with dots and placed in the centre of a simplified city wall motif in the shape of a half moon, with reference to the 1137 gold seal of Emperor Lothair III, of which only a fragment survives. This also shows a city wall broken in 161
