Lead bag and cloth seals

[godfrey]

That's really interesting, what were these searchers searching for?

[StuE]

That's really interesting, what were these searchers searching for?

The short answer is the correct dimensions! Originally alnagers, as the searchers were also known, checked the length and breadth of cloth and if it fell short of the dimensions laid down by the Crown it would be seized for the king. Later when they found that foreigners and indeed native cloth traders would not bring their wares to English markets for fear of it failing the regulations the system was modified to allow other lengths, breadths and weights provided they were marked on the seal. The king (and the alnager/searcher) covered their loss of earnings by charging a subsidy for each cloth sealed. As before any cloth put up for sale without a seal would be confiscated. There were also specialist searchers working for guilds / companies such as the London Dyers (see http://www.bagseals.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=317) or the Norwich Weavers (see http://www.bagseals.org/gallery/main.ph ... emId=11973) who check for other deficiencies in their member's production.

[Puffin]

Cheers StuE I'll pass the info on.

[godfrey]

That's really interesting, thanks StuE. Sounds like a system initially full of corruption, fixed by turning it into a flat tax. Plus ca change!

[tinner]

a blank revers 16mm across and would appear to be Irish

[yeti]

a blank revers 16mm across and would appear to be Irish

http://www.bagseals.org/gallery/main.ph ... emId=12548 ...Yeti

[tinner]

thanks yeti

[StuE]

Thanks Tinner - better nick and different amount to the other one - good spot yeti
http://www.bagseals.org/gallery/main.ph ... emId=20517

[derfel]

a few more for you stu

a.20*15mm
b.15mm
c.13mm

larger images emailed

cheers

[StuE]

Thanks mate - http://www.bagseals.org/gallery/main.ph ... emId=20566
http://www.bagseals.org/gallery/main.ph ... emId=20569
and does anyone speak Arabic???? - http://www.bagseals.org/gallery/main.ph ... emId=20571

[popsandme]

and does anyone speak Arabic?

An Arabian

[Nick]

Newish one on behalf of a friend.
18mm diameter.
Found in Creigau, Nr. Cardiff.

[StuE]

Nice one Nick but loads on the Gallery already - http://www.bagseals.org/gallery/main.ph ... g2_page=63 - Seed Merchants, Webb & Sons Seal - here's the Trade Mark - http://www.bagseals.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=3202
Thanks for showing it.

[derfel]

cheers stu, arabic thats different

[popsandme]

clean enough stu?.....
made of lead
Length = 20.4mm
Width= 16.82mm
Thick (T) = 2.22mm
Lobe (L) = 4.96mm
T+L = 7.18mm
appears to have XVII (17) over XXI (21) for the design.....or possibly XVIII over XXII?
any ideas please mate.