Abstract
The article analyzes the significance of coins and seals in research on the history of the medieval Bulgarian state from the seventh to the fourteenth century. The purpose of the study is to demonstrate the value of numismatic and sigillographic sources for reconstructing Bulgaria’s political history and the ideology of rulership. The author employs historical and iconographic analysis of coins, medallions, and seals of Bulgarian khans and tsars, comparing them with chronicle accounts and Byzantine sources. The study shows that coins and seals, produced from durable materials and issued in large quantities, constitute exceptionally reliable evidence of medieval political realities. Particular attention is devoted to the seal of Khan Tervel, which confirms the granting of an imperial title by Byzantium and illustrates the ruler’s aspiration to place his authority on an equal footing with that of the Byzantine emperor. The author also analyzes the gold medallions of Omurtag and the seals of Boris-Michael, demonstrating the deliberate use of Byzantine iconography in the political propaganda of the Bulgarian state. Numismatics and sigillography provide unique information concerning political ideology, ambitions of rulership, and the processes of Christianization in medieval Bulgaria.
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© by Adam Mickiewicz University, Faculty of History, Poznań, 1985
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