Rights Holder: The Portable Antiquities Scheme
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Unique ID: LON-9078EC
Object type certainty: Certain
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status: Awaiting validation
A Post Medieval four-part lead alloy Essex cloth seal dated AD 1614. The seal is a four part seal with the two outer parts being round and the two inner two parts being lozenge-shaped: The first outer part has the initials 'I D' with a flower below; the second lozenge-shaped inner part has three lions passant; the third lozenge-shaped inner part has three lidded cups (Similar to those appearing in the Goldsmiths' Company Arms) with ESS EX 1614 around; and the fourth part which is circular has the number 63. Egan (1987:92) writes "The number on the first parts of the above seals, presumably weights in pounds, suggest that they might have been for broadcloths (cf. the dimensions in several late 16th-century Statutes)."
Another seal illustrated in Egan (1987:91 No.1760) also dated 1614 has the arms of the Goldsmiths' Company and the arms of James I.
Dimensions: length: 25.58mm; width: 18.92mm; weight: 9.81g
Egan (1987:91-92) writes "The presence on a cloth seal of the arms of a Company having no obvious connection with textiles has no ready explanation. Comparison with one of the two types of 1614 seal for Kent, which possibly has the arms of the Salters' Company (no. 756), suggests a similar background, but goes no further towards an explanation *.
It is possible that the alnagers were members of these Companies, and used the arms (illegally) in a personal context, though the same date in two counties might suggest some kind of formal arrangement, possibly an ad hoc measure connected with the Cockayne Project Friis 1927, passim) for finishing cloths in England before export, though this is pure speculation.
Also with lozenge-shaped parts, and having more immediately apparent design parallels with Kent county seals of the 1610s and early 1620s."
References: Egan, G. 1992. Leaden Cloth Seals. Datasheet 3. Finds Research Group 700-1700 Datasheets 1-24. 1985-1998. Reprographic Unit, University of Oxford.
Elton S.F. 2017. Cloth Seals: An Illustrated Reference Guide to Identification of Lead Seals Attached To Cloth, Archaeopress Publishing Ltd.
Egan G. 1987. Provenanced Leaden Cloth Seals, Department of Medieval Archaeology, University College, University of London.
Inscription:
ESS EX 1614
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Period from: POST MEDIEVAL
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1614
Date to: Circa AD 1614
Quantity: 1
Length: 25.58 mm
Width: 18.92 mm
Weight: 9.81 g
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Primary material: Lead Alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete
No spatial data available.
No references cited so far.