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CLOTH SEAL
Unique ID: KENT-BA69BE
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
An incomplete lead cloth or bag seal issued in the City of Norwich and dated '1576'.
Description: The seal remains as one half of two circular seal elements. The front of the remaining half has the initials 'C.N' with 'T.L' above and date '1576' below. The reverse has the remains of an attachment knop for attaching it to the now missing half. The seal is heavily patinated an off white colour.
Measurements: 18.36mm in diameter, 3.07mm thick and 2.38g in weight.
Discussion: As pointed out by Paul Cannon it is likely that this cloth seal relates to a series of Dated seals with the initials of the Mayor of Norwich a group of which are recorded in Geoff Egan's PhD thesis (1987, 175-176). CN is presumed in each case to stand for City of Norwich, or Civitas Norvicum, the Latin equivalent. Paul Cannon also points out that Thomas Layer was Mayor of Norwich 1576-7 (subsequently MP for Norwich in 1586). It is not certain which textiles these seals were for, though it may be relevant that the mayors of Norwich were the patrons of the Russel Company (Egan 1987, 177).
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: POST MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Exactly AD 1576
Date to: Exactly AD 1576
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Thickness: 3.07 mm
Weight: 2.38 g
Diameter: 18.36 mm
Personal details
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Materials and construction
Primary material: Lead Alloy
Manufacture method: Struck or hammered
Completeness: Complete
Spatial metadata
Region: South East (European Region)County or Unitary authority: Kent (County)
District: Dover (District)
To be known as: Goodnestone
Spatial coordinates
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
References cited
| Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egan, G. | 1987 | Provenanced Leaden Cloth Seals | London | University College London (PhD) |
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Timeline of associated dates
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