Introduction Papal bullae are lead seals that were attached to papal documents to guarantee their authenticity. A bulla was attached to its document using a silk or hemp cord, threaded through the vellum and then passed through the bulla itself, from top to bottom. A new obverse die was made for each new pope, with …more
Category: Trade and Writing
Book Mounts
Introduction Copper-alloy mounts were often fixed to medieval and post-medieval book covers to decorate and protect the covers. Most are recognised from their convex domed centres, which prevented the leather of the covers from being rubbed and damaged. Surviving domed mounts still in place on books can be in the centre of each cover, at …more
Hornbooks
Introduction The ‘hornbooks’ we record through the PAS are post-medieval lead-alloy alphabet panels, whose name refers to far larger, and better made, tablets, generally wooden, with or without a handle. True hornbooks had printed text on vellum or paper protected by a thin sheet of transparent horn. These usually showed the alphabet or the Lord’s …more
How to Record a Coin
Introduction The main difference between recording a coin (or jetton, token etc) and any other object is that for a coin there is an extra form to complete, in addition to the standard finds form, findspot form, and so on. Coins are standard, mass-produced objects, and the numismatic forms are set up to capture this …more
Seal Boxes
Introduction Roman wax seals were made by pouring wax into a copper-alloy box. These boxes have a base and a lid; the base has notches in the sides to allow a cord (to be fastened by the seal) to enter the box, a number of holes in the base, and a double hinge loop; the …more
Coin Weights (2001 guide)
Introduction Please note that this guide has not been fundamentally changed from the original print version of the Finds Recording Guide (Geake 2001), written when the database contained just 8,800 non-numismatic records. Coin weights were used to verify that precious metal coins were not below their legal weight limit. They were used with folding balances: …more
Cloth Seals (2001 guide)
Please note that this guide has not been fundamentally changed from the original print version of the Finds Recording Guide (Geake 2001), written when the database contained just 8,800 non-numismatic records. Introduction Cloth seals were lead seals attached to industrially produced cloths as part of ‘the alnage’: industrial regulation by officials who controlled the quality …more
Book Clasps
Introduction Book clasps were used to hold the covers of a book tightly, together to keep it closed and the pages flat. There are two main types of medieval book clasp. One fitted over a peg on the opposite cover, and has a pierced terminal, probably to hold a cord to help pull it off …more
Seal Matrices
Introduction A seal matrix is used for making an impression on a wax seal, to authenticate a document or to keep it closed. Some specialised matrices may be used for making impressions on lead seals, such as cloth seals (e.g. NFAHG-C241B0). The earliest seal matrices on the PAS database date from the early-medieval period, but …more
Lead Seals (Other than Cloth Seals) (2001 guide)
Please note that this guide has not been fundamentally changed from the original print version of the Finds Recording Guide (Geake 2001), written when the database contained just 8,800 non-numismatic records. Introduction This guide covers small multi-functional lead seals used to close bags of seed or fertilizer (including guano), Russian examples for flax bales (Sullivan …more