Lead Seal--Can Anyone Tell What it Says?

BuckleBoy

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Jun 12, 2006
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Just wondering if anyone has a guess about the words on this lead seal. Would be nice to know what kind of product it was on. Too bad it is in poor shape.

HPIM3954.JPGHPIM3955.JPG
 

Will, I've got two of the words: EAU DES which is French for 'water of.' Could it have been a seal for cologne? Can you clean it a little more to see if we can see other letters? :) Breezie


WillLead.JPG
 

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I did some photoshop work to bring out the detail... So far I can see this:

??RFAU DE S??

And there seems to be an F on the bottom (upside down on this orientation). So, not an answer, but a help?

seal.jpg
 

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That's a hard one don't know but I'll give it a shot trying to figure it out.
 

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Will, I've got two of the words: EAU DES which is French for 'water of' Can you clean it a little more to see if we can see other letters? :) Breezie


View attachment 751913

I think you're right with the E vs my F... so with a REAU, and I was thinking before the R is a U... can we guess "BUREAU" as the first word? de something? Bureau of something?
 

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I think there's a R on the bottom but I can't make out anything else. Have you tried a pencil rub?
 

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Not sure what it is exactly, but after searching some of the letters it seems to have something to do with a hotel in Paris maybe? I came up with Rue des sthrau
 

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I think you're right with the E vs my F... so with a REAU, and I was thinking before the R is a U... can we guess "BUREAU" as the first word? de something? Bureau of something?

It very well could be BUREAU DES, which translates from French to English as 'OFFICE OF.' That makes more sense than 'water of.' Good eye Grant! Breezie
 

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Anytime I see that "AU" combination I think German, ("bau" or similar), but French might make more sense for the area.

-Buck
 

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Dang, so busy today I won't have time to dig into it... but definitely adding Sigillography and Sphragistics to my resume.
 

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I do believe it is a 2-word title, DES___ER BUREAU. You can see it better in this filtered, rotated version of the pic:

seal.jpg
 

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