Rights Holder: Somerset County Council
CC License:
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Unique ID: SOM-B25826
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
An incomplete Post Medieval lead cloth seal, dating to c. 1500-1800. Only one of the two discs, along with its integral rivet survive. The surviving disc is stamped with a deep, incuse I V on the lower half of the disc, with no other decoration. A section of the design stamped onto the second disc surives on the rivet. Centrally, there is visible the torso of a probable standing female figure with the surviving arm upraised. To the right is is the letter H, and below this is a trefoil of pellets, along with further detail, which together may be intended to depict foliage. Below the arm and parallel to the torso is a thin band of curvilinear parallel lines, which appear to depict hair. All in low relief and within a beaded border. On the inside edge of the disc an impression of the cloth has survived, this appears to have been plain weave, c. 36-40 threads per inch.
Dimensions: Diameter 20.2mm; length (including rivet) 21.9mm; Weight 4.36g.
No exact parallel for this seal has been found, however the level of detail is notable and the example may be paralelled with seals such as LANCUM-10FE49, which similarly features an extremely detailed depiction of a central female figure, there interpretted as possibly venus, within a beaded border.
Inscription:
I V
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Period from: POST MEDIEVAL
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1500
Date to: Circa AD 1800
Quantity: 1
Length: 21.9 mm
Weight: 4.36 g
Diameter: 20.2 mm
Date(s) of discovery: Friday 1st January 2016 - Thursday 23rd February 2017
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Other reference: SCC receipt: 019094
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.