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Description: | An incomplete lead alloy bale seal dating to the Post-medieval period dating 1500 - 1700AD. The seal is of the two disc type joined by an integral central strip and sealed by compressing a central rivet. The front of the seal bears a sigil possibly a stylised number 2.The metal has a dark brown patina and is worn. The diameter is 23mm.Lead cloth and bale seals were used in Europe to mark cloth for commercial sale between the 13th and the 19th centuries and were part of a system of regulation and quality control. Unlike bale seals cloth seals typically comprise two disc joined by a connecting strip which were folded around each side of a textile and stamped closed. The rivet type of cloth seal were specifically devised for marking commercial textiles (Egan 1994, p.4) and were common from the late 16th century onwards.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/ | Go to resource |
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