SEAL

A Post Medieval Russian flax bale seal dating to the 1790's. The lead seal is a thick disc with two horizontal perforations running through the centre from edge to edge to accommodate a cord or wire which would have been used to attach the seal to a bale of flax.

The seal was kindly identified by Ged Dodd of the peacehavens seal project and reads: ЛД = LD / И.ВИННИКОВЪ/ H20 on one face and NP / RP12K / 179?

Flax Seal inspector I.VINNIKOV working out of 20 post in the port of Konigsberg, Kronstadt, Libnau, Memel, Narva, Pernau, Reval, Riga, St Petersburg, or Tilsit ..in the year 179? (possibly 1793) . All of these ports used NP for their flax seals before the year 1829 as a certification of the flax bracking (inspection) by the Russian Empire. NP does not mean this seal was shipped from the port of Narva. (but it may have been).
The Grower/Owner/Agent initials are PR with 12K plants in the bale. this Grower/Owner/Agent only dealt in high quality crown grade flax

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries Russia was a prominent exporter of flax Lead bale seals were used as a means of identification and as a component of regulation and quality control. Russian seals of this type were used as a means to monitor and ensure the quality of flax hemp products from Russia. They were applied individually by a port inspector and gave unique information like the inspector's name, the post where they worked, the name of the port, the initials of the previous grower/owner or agent, the quality and grade of the flax and the date it was graded (Sullivan 2000:211-227).

It is 21.5mm in diameter with a thickness of 6.5mm and a weight of 12.03g.

It is IDS 1081 on the Peacehavens website.