Lead Trading Seals
Lead trading seals were used throughout the centuries for all kind of merchant/ trade wares. The seals were used to represent a certain brand or type of material; being consumables like sugar, flour, cheese, meat, etc.), fabric/ cloth or a service like postage. Others were used to confirm taxes been paid. Lead trading seals can be very old - some are dated all the way back to the 15th century or even before.
Some examples of my seals collection: 1.) a very old seal with lion symbol. 3/ 4/ 5/ 8: 18th century standard seals for sugar, seeds, grade C. 7.) an 18th century tax seal. 6.) very old seal with the fabric still attached between de lead halves. 23.) meat seal. 20.) very old 'lakenlood' - fabric seal.
While some seals were pressed into the material, like fabric (above left), others were attached to bags by wires - like the three to the right. To the most right an example of three seals stamped onto fabric.
Some seals have a clear origin: like this one marked 'Dordrecht'.
Other lead seals need a bit more research: like this two headed eagle seal, repressenting the city of Cologne in Germany. This particular seal stil has the fabric pressed in between the two lead parts.
These are also a more commonly known and easily identifiable seal: these are the only ones marked with the text 'wolle deeken gemaakt binnen leyden' - which means 'wool cloth made in Leiden'. Leiden produced these well know fabric for many ages in between the 13th and 18th century.
A photograph for reference - NOT my finding!
Another overview of many lead seals. The centre row represents many 'ACC' marked seals, which means 'accijns' or: 'taxes'. The other sides are marked with the Dutch lion.
Top left of this overview above has 3 Posterijen (postage) seals (one of them marked 'Den Haag'), which have a number stamped inside representing the postage value (2, 5 or 10 cents in these specimens). The lowest row of seals have '0', '00' or '000' markings which stand for the quality of flour ('000'.
Some markings of the depicted seals: 'Tirlemont Belgique', 'Raffined', 'Stoom Meelfabriek' (flour), 'Merxem' and ACC' (taxes).
Overviews of some more older seals with barely visible markings.
Above many more samples of lead seal fragments. To the right a so called 'Lakenlood' (fabric lead seal) of the rare cylindrical type. This was a lead pipe which was set around a piece of cloth and pressed together to hold it. This fragment is dated 14th century or later.
