SOMDOR-ECC264: Medieval or Post Medieval Cloth Seal

Rights Holder: Somerset County Council
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Rights Holder: Somerset County Council
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CLOTH SEAL

Unique ID: SOMDOR-ECC264

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Awaiting validation

A two-part cast lead cloth seal of probable late fifteenth or early sixteenth century date. The fragment measures 23.18mm by 19.28mm by 5.52mmmm and weighs 8.27g. The first disc shows a crude crown over an ornate shield with the arms of England, a rose and possibly a sun to the sides. Disc 2 has a large letter F with a rose and sun to the sides. The letter F was used from 1474 to indicate a textile with minor faults that were significant enough to have the customer's attention drawn to them in this way (pers. comm. Geoff Egan).

Notes:

This cloth seal is an official issue from the alnage, the regulatory system by which each newly woven textile had to be individually examined to ensure it was of good enough quality for the market, then sealed with a cloth seal to show this. The seal is one of a group of 22 cloth seals which were discovered over an area which was formerly a single field in Cerne Abbas, Dorset. The assemblage probably relates to the consumption of cloth rather than its production, unless they came to be deposited during a finishing process carried out in the immediate locality, such as fulling or dyeing.

Subsequent actions

Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder

Chronology

Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Post AD 1474
Date to: Circa AD 1550

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Length: 23.18 mm
Width: 19.28 mm
Thickness: 5.52 mm
Weight: 8.27 g

Discovery dates

Date(s) of discovery: Friday 31st December 2004

Personal details

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Materials and construction

Primary material: Lead
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Fragment

Spatial metadata

Region: South West (European Region)
County or Unitary authority: Dorset (County)
District: West Dorset (District)
To be known as: Cerne Abbas

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: Other
Specific landuse: Built over

References cited

No references cited so far.

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Timeline of associated dates

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Audit data

Recording Institution: SOMDOR
Created: 18 years ago
Updated: 13 years ago

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