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Description: | A circular lead personal seal matrix, dating from the Medieval period. The engraved device at the centre of the die is that of a double-headed eagle, between the heads of which is an stem with three branches. The legend, when printed, extends clockwise from 12 o'clock and reads: + S'IOhIS WODLOND (Seal of John Wodlond). The W is very faint and the N reverse-barred. There is a very faint groove between inscription and central device.The handle, consisting of a short thick rectangular-section tab, extends backwards from the centre of the concave reverse, with which it forms a right-angle.Diameter: 18.8mm; height (with handle): 8.6mm. Weight: 9.37g.Although small for matrices of the period, the general form of this piece nevertheless suggests a date of c. 13th century (see Harvey and McGuinness 1996: 79-88). The double-headed eagle device can be seen on an early 13th-century seal held in the British Library (ibid. 85, Fig. 77). 'Wodlond', presumably meaning 'woodland', is a known surname from the Medieval period.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/ | Go to resource |
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