Rights Holder: York Museums Trust
CC License:
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Unique ID: YORYM-ED9063
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published
A complete lead seal matrix of medieval date. The seal is a pointed oval or vesica shape with a broken lug set on the reverse at the base of a crudely incised fleur-de-lis. The front bears a worn central motif of another lis, surrounded by a lightly grooved border and the legend + S'. ALIC'.E'. RAD'. (Seal of Alice daughter of Ralph). It seems likely that the E is an error and should be an F, for Filie, daughter of.
The metal is a light whitish-brown colour and is worn. The seal is 33.4mm long, 22.1mm wide, 5.2mm thick and weighs 14.9g.
Sealing was used for authenticating documents for around 300 years in medieval Britain. Pointed oval shaped seals such as this were popular during the 13th century when they were particularly preferred by women (Harvey and McGuinness, 1996: 79-88).
Class:
personal
Sub class: woman
Inscription:
+ S'. ALIC'.E'. RAD'.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1200
Date to: Circa AD 1300
Quantity: 1
Length: 33.4 mm
Width: 22.1 mm
Thickness: 5.2 mm
Weight: 14.9 g
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4 Figure: SE7250
Four figure Latitude: 53.94111365
Four figure longitude: -0.90464088
1:25K map: SE7250
1:10K map: SE75SW
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.