▁of ▁the ▁By z antine ▁army , ▁a ▁duty ▁collect or , ▁or ▁of ▁an ▁entrepr ene ur ▁( or ▁group ▁of ▁entrepr ene urs ) ▁who ▁obtained ▁a ▁mon opol y ▁of ▁sil k ▁production ▁and ▁sil k ▁trade . ▁The ▁kom mer ki ario i ▁had ▁custom - made ▁se als ▁for ▁their ▁mer ch and ise , ▁displaying ▁the ▁image ▁of ▁the ▁reign ing ▁em peror ▁( or ▁em per ors ), ▁the ▁ind ict ions ▁for ▁which ▁each ▁se al ▁was ▁valid ▁( r anging ▁from ▁ 6 7 3 / 6 7 4 ▁to ▁ 8 3 2 / 8 3 3 ), ▁and ▁the ▁names ▁of ▁the ▁w are h ouses ▁( or ▁ap othe ka i , ▁concentration ▁and ▁red ist ribution ▁points ) ▁of ▁the ▁imperial ▁provinces ▁under ▁their ▁juris diction . ▁For ▁a ▁brief ▁period ▁in ▁ 6 9 5 – 6 9 7 ▁and ▁perman ently ▁from ▁ 7 3 0 / 7 3 1 ▁to ▁ 8 3 2 / 8 3 3 , ▁these ▁custom - made ▁se als ▁never ▁mention ▁the ▁names ▁of ▁individual ▁kom mer ki ario i , ▁but ▁rather ▁mention ▁the ▁expression ▁" of ▁the ▁imperial ▁kom merk ia " ▁( supp osed ly ▁because ▁the ▁kom merk ia ▁were ▁offices ▁operated ▁by ▁employees ▁of ▁the ▁By z antine ▁state ▁who ▁may ▁have ▁exerc ised ▁general ▁control ▁over ▁the ▁mer ch and ise ▁and ▁collected ▁duties ). ▁According ▁to ▁Nik ola os ▁O ik onom ides ,