★ Very interesting ★

Byzantine Pb seal (12.53g, 29mm) Joseph (or Jozua) topoteres (seventh/eighth century?)
Obv: A cruciform invocative monogram (type?) = Θεοτόκε βοήθει.
Rev: Ίοζὴφου(? = Ίωσὴφ or Ίοζουα) τοποτερ(ητῃ).

Topoteretes (τοποτηρητής) – deputy of higher military commanders in the themes, tagmata and Byzantine navy. Situated on different levels of hierarchy among the commanders; representative and deputy of the drungarios. At the beginning of the 12th century, topoteretai occur as commanders of small regions and fortresses, and at the end of the Palaiologan period the term was used for representatives of the Patriarchate Constantinople.
The wife of Topoteretes is topoteretissa (τοποτηρητίσσᾳ).

The seal is certainly originall. The dies were made carelessly, somewhere in the provinces, outside the capital's workshop employing specialists. The name Ίωσὴφ or Ίοζουα) may result from the Jewish origin of the issuer and point to Palestine or the Nile Delta, where many Jews lived. Such careless seals are quite typical in the 7th - 8th centuries - it could have been the result of the aggression of the Persians, and later the Arabs, and being cut off from the empire's hinterland.
Writing a function or title using the letter β - reading vestes, not bestes, etc.

Vestes βέστῃ 10/11
Vestarches βεστάρχῃ 10/11
Vestitor βεστίτορι 6/10
Vestiarios βεστιαρίου 7/11
Vestarites βεστιαρίτη 11
Vikarios βικαρίου 6/7

Vestes (βέστης) - a higher court title used in the 10th and 11th centuries; the earliest confirmed under Emperor John I Tzimiskes, awarded to eunuchs - vestai with the title of praipositos and bearded men - vestai with the titles of patrikios or magistros. At the end of the 11th century, its importance decreased and it was awarded to lower-ranking officials. To counteract this devaluation, the title of protovestes (Greek πρωτοβέστης - "first vestes") was established. Both titles did not survive the reign of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (1081/1118).