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CLOTH SEAL
Unique ID: LON-D9EA16
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
A complete Post Medieval - Modern lead alloy cloth seal dating to late 16th - 19th century. This is a two part seal where the first disc has two ligatured initials possibly L and M. The second disc is blank. This is probably a privy mark of a clothier, weaver or searcher.
Dimensions: length: 27.75mm; thickness: 3.30mm; diameter: 21.29mm; weight: 9.57g.
Notes:
Egan (1992:1) explains that lead seals were used to mark newly-woven cloth as a quality control and taxation system. The most common cloth seal had two discs connected via a tab; this was folded around the edge of the textile so that the rivet on one disc was pushed through the fabric and through the hole in the other disc. The required information was then stamped onto one or both discs. Egan notes none of the large numbers of privy marks recorded on cloth seals in this country has been identified with any well-documented individual. The use of these seals continued into the 19th century (1994:78).
Reference: Egan, G. 1992. Leaden Cloth Seals. Datasheet 3. Finds Research Group 700-1700 Datasbeets 1-24. 1985-1998. Reprographic Unit, University of Oxford.
Egan, G. 1994. Lead cloth seals and related items in the British Museum. Occasional Paper 93. The British Museum Press; London.
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: POST MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: MODERN
Date from: Circa AD 1550
Date to: Circa AD 1900
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 27.75 mm
Thickness: 3.3 mm
Weight: 9.57 g
Diameter: 21.29 mm
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Tuesday 1st December 2009
Personal details
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Materials and construction
Primary material: Lead Alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
Spatial metadata
Region: London (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Greater London Authority (Greater London Authority)
District: Wandsworth (London Borough)
Parish or ward: Queenstown (London Borough Ward)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: TQ2877
Four figure Latitude: 51.47748644
Four figure longitude: -0.15824065
1:25K map: TQ2877
1:10K map: TQ27NE
Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
References cited
| Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egan, G. | 1994 | Lead cloth seals and related items in the British Museum | London | Department of Medieval and Later Antiquities, British Museum | 78 |
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Timeline of associated dates
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