CLOTH SEAL

Post medieval lead cloth seal of late 16th to early 17th century date
The seal is of two-part form and is incomplete missing some of the an area of the perforated disc (with a diameter of 24.4mm, a thickness of 3.9mm and a weight of 5.3g). The obverse face has a crowned shield, quartered with three fleur-de-lys devices and three lions, passant in opposing quarters. The detail on the dexter part of the shield has been lost. The shield and crown are in a beaded border with a legend, now indecipherable. The only part of the legend that can be read on the seal:
[ ]I' PAO[ ]N
The reverse face has a ridged cross but all other detail and legend has also been lost.

Although poorly preserved, the seal may be identified as the arms of England on the obverse and the arms of London on the reverse. The seal can be closely paralleled with three examples in the collections of the British Museum, two of which were found in London and published by Egan (1994, pp. 40-1, nos. 61-3, figs. 19-20) . Indicating that the legend would have been:
S'VLII'PAO'VIALLE'LON//LONDINI PRO PANNIS LANICIS
Seal of alnage of saleable cloths of London // for wollon cloths of London
Two of the British Museum seals are dated to 1564 and 1573 and the third ascribed an early 17th century date (ibid.).

~~ Egan G. 1994; Lead Cloth Seals and Related Items in the British Museum; British Museum Occasional Paper 93