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Description: | Fragment of a medieval high tin lead alloy seal matrix. Only half the original, probably circular or pointed oval, matrix remains and the edges have also been damaged. The reverse of the matrix is flat and any original lug has been lost. The central design is of an (probably) eight petalled flower with single dots between the ends of the petals. The remaining part of the legend appears to read *[...]WIL'. The Wil' ending could be a personal name (as in son or daughter of William) or a location (as in XX of Wil').
Seals were broken in half to cancel them when the owner died or replaced them, much as we cut credit cards in half today. However the broken pieces would usually have been melted and the metal reused rather than being discarded so this may be an accidental break.
It is 20.7mm long by 13.2mm wide by 3.7mm thick and weighs 3.82 grams.
The fragmentary nature of this seal makes it hard to date accurately but it is probably from the 13th or 14th centuries. | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Burnett, Laura - Portable Antiquities Scheme | Identifier: | http://www.findsdatabase.org.uk/hms/pas_... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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