Rights Holder: Birmingham Museums Trust
CC License:
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Unique ID: WMID-97ADBA
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A complete copper alloy impersonal pedestal / pendant type seal matrix, of Late Medieval dating (AD 1400 to AD 1500).
The body of the matrix consists of a pedestal, created from a six sided tapering column. These terminate in an incomplete trefoil knop, with a circular suspension hole in the middle. The suspension loop is complete, and has an internal diameter of 2.6 mm. Three horizontal collars separate the suspension loop from the rest of the handle. The handle is flat and is orientated horizontally. The die or seal face is sub circular in plan, with a diameter of 18.2 mm.
The die / seal face is complete. The die is crudely cut. The central device consists of an incomplete plain sub circular border. Within the plain border, a lombardic G is present. Five (five) pellets are above the letter, and a feathered leaf or fine branch is to either side. A pellet is present at the base of each leaf or branch.
The seal matrix is 25.8 mm tall, with a base diameter of 18.2 mm. The handle is 7.1 mm wide and 3.5 mm thick. It weighs 9.4 g.
After c. AD 1300 smaller impersonal circular based seal matrices are most common (Harvey, P.D.A. and McGuinness, A. 1996 A Guide to British Medieval Seals British Library and Public Record Office, p. 88-89). Matrices with a single letter and branches become more frequent in the 15th century (ibid p. 93). Therefore this seal matrix is likely to be of 15th Century AD dating.
A similar seal matrix has been recorded on the PAS database as WAW-CEBDF6.
Inscription:
G
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1400
Date to: Circa AD 1500
Quantity: 1
Length: 25.8 mm
Weight: 9.4 g
Diameter: 18.2 mm
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 31st August 2014 - Sunday 31st August 2014
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4 Figure: SP1798
Four figure Latitude: 52.57955073
Four figure longitude: -1.75055595
1:25K map: SP1798
1:10K map: SP19NE
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.