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CLOTH SEAL

Unique ID: SUSS-AA79F5

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Awaiting validation

Late Medieval or Post Medieval incomplete two- or four-disc lead cloth seal. Only a fragment of the centre of two discs survive. Two-disc seals were formed of one disc with a raised cone in the centre which was pushed through the cloth and then through a hole in the centre of the second disc. The seal was then stamped across this cone flattening it and riveting the two discs together. This fragement is part of the cone and the upper and lower disc. On the front is stamped an unclear raised design, possibly a merchents privy mark. The back is plain apart from some incised lines. It is 16.2mm by 13.8mm by 2.6mm thick; it wieghs 2.61 grams. The plainness suggests this may be a clothiers, weavers or searches personal seal rather than an alnage seal. Lead cloth seals such as this were in use between the 15th and 18th centuries AD, although it remains uncertain precisely when in this period the current example belongs. See Egan, 1995: pp. 1-4.

Chronology

Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: AD 1400
Date to: AD 1800

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Length: 16.2 mm
Width: 13.8 mm
Thickness: 2.6 mm
Weight: 2.61 g

Discovery dates

Date(s) of discovery: Saturday 12th December 2009

Personal details

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Materials and construction

Primary material: Lead
Manufacture method: Stamped
Completeness: Fragment

Spatial metadata

Region: South East (European Region)
County or Unitary authority: West Sussex (County)
District: Chichester (District)
To be known as: Chichester district

Spatial coordinates

Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.

Discovery metadata

Method of discovery: Metal detector
General landuse: Grassland, Heathland
Specific landuse: Disturbed

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	1-4

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Timeline of associated dates

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Audit data

Recording Institution: SUSS
Created: 14 years ago
Updated: 13 years ago

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