Code: 12948
This is a very rare medieval silver seal matrix, dating to the 14th century AD. it is of excellent quality, clearly made by a silversmith for a patron of wealth. This example depicts an ornate merchant's mark within a radiant nimbus. Around is inscribed the owner's name in a Lombardic script, reading to me as: "S GILLEBERT RAREGAL" (seal of Gillebert Raregal). This was perhaps for a wine merchant or spice merchant, certainly one of substance. Merchants travelled great distances, often by ship, to trade in valuable goods, so researching a specific merchant can be quite difficult without understanding their names and marks.
Silver seals are known but very rare finds, comprising less than 2% of all recorded examples found in England. See NMS-A6A6A7, ESS-B09FF6 and DOR-1363A3 for further discussion!
Indispensable for business, personal seals and signet rings were used to authenticate legal and financial transactions. This is a rare seal, the suspension ring is missing, probably snapped off and the reason for its loss?
OBJECT: Seal Matrix
CULTURE: Medieval
DATE: c. 14th - 15th century AD
MATERIAL: Silver
SIZE: 31mm tall x 21mm diameter
WEIGHT: 27.40 grams
PROVENANCE: Originally found in Moselle, France.
