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Description: | A small non-heraldic personal seal matrix, made of copper-alloy. The seal matrix stands only to a height of 12.76mm. But the die is very large in comparison to its height. The die is flat and oval in shape; at its widest diameter it measures 17.65mm. The reverse of the die tapers gently upward to the handle. There is a collar around the handle, where the handle joins the die. The terminal of the handle is roughly crescent shaped with a circular loop extending from the top of the handle. The crescent shaped part of the handle is 5.04mm thick at its widest point. Both surfaces of the crescent and the loop have been decorated with an engraved floral design. The handle is set at a 6 o?clock position, so the user of the matrix has a 50% chance of using the matrix the right way around, without having to check the die. There are no marking on the reverse of the die to indicate which way around it goes. The die of the seal matrix clearly depicts a griffon rampant. The griffon is framed within a diamond; there is a floral design around the diamond.
The griffon would be facing left, on the die impression. There is no legend on the die. The griffon has been chipped carved in great detail. The seal matrix is complete, although it is slightly worn around the edges. On the reverse of the die much of the original patina still survives, it is a dark brownish-brown. The die also retains some of this patina, but some of the original surface has been lost. Weight: 6.31g. | Format: | text/html | License: | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ | Publisher: | The Portable Antiquities Scheme | Rights holder: | The Portable Antiquities Scheme | Subjects: | archaeology | Temporal: | 1250
1500 | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://www.finds.org.uk/database/artefac... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | text/html | Go to resource |
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