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Description: | A seal matrix, with a conical handle. The object was cast in copper alloy, and then the die was chip carved. The handle has six facets, and terminates in a shoulder, and round loop pierced by a small circular hole, 1.5mm in diameter. The die features the image of two crossed hands (the fingers pointing up) with a small horn-shaped device below them (the ends pointing down). The legend has a six-pointed star as its initial mark; the legend reads 'PRIVE SV', meaning 'I am private'. The lettering is crude, but the design as a whole is neatly carved, although not very sophisticated. There is no mark on the reverse of the die to indicate to the user of the seal matrix, which way around it goes. The surface is well-preserved, and is a mottled brown/ochre/greyish-green. This seal matrix dates to the medieval period. A faint scratch across the surface of the die may indicate that this seal matrix has been cancelled.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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