✅ SOLVED Lead tax seal...coat of arms.

mk4125

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Jul 9, 2015
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Its been a few years since I dug this up along the shore of Lake Michigan. The object is one-half of a lead 'tax seal'...that's about all I know about it.
I know that there are some knowledgeable people on this forum and I am hopeful to get a time period of when this would have been used. FB_IMG_1496624609014.jpg.FB_IMG_1496630099098.jpg
 

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Very nice example, not seen one that large!

I would say British Victorian period.
 

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It's a great find! I found something close to it when it was posted a couple years ago. Here is my post and the old thread to assist.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/468961-need-identification-help.html

What a great find! Congratulations!
thumbsup.gif


Here is something like it - also a Great Lakes region find- Yours is a slightly different design though. If you go to the linked article there is one that looks to be the same design as yours. It dates to 1603-1649 but also says "these arms were reused during two later periods"

http://www.whattheyleftbehind.com/CL...R%208-2-11.pdf

so I will try to research that too.

Cloth Seal, Georgian Armorial, 1714 - 1800


Cloth Seal, Georgian Armorial, 1714 - 1800
Cloth Seal, Armorial, George I - III, Image & Found by Lloyd Draper.
Found near Lewiston, County of Niagara in New York, USA, diameter 41mm.


One disc of a typical large armorial four disc seal with Royal Arms of Britain 1714 - 1800, Garter around with motto HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE, surmounted by crowned helmet with lion passant guardant on, supported by lion and unicorn, below a ribbon with motto DIEU ET MON DROIT, all in a circular border of fused pellets.


"I am sending photos of some lead seals found near the town of Lewiston, county of Niagara in New York, USA. The site is in an area of British Army occupation from the mid 1700s until the end of the War of 1812. There were also a few two part bale seals found in the same site. All of these have some gilding still on them and the backs are all blank with a mold mark on each. The back which is shown has a Union Jack roughly scratched into it as can be seen. I neglected to photograph with measurements, but are roughly the size of an American half dollar. The first three have coat of arms from King Georges I, II,and III ... Maybe you can help me identify the purpose of these and how they were used and why found in USA."


These arms were used under George I, II and III until the latter renounced his title as King of France under the Treaty of Paris in 1801 and the fleur-de-lis were replaced by the lion of Scotland and the arms of Hanover were moved to the centre. Unfortunately the other three discs are missing but the same disc from two other seals of this type have been found by Lloyd and one clearly shows some remaining gilding. See Geoff Egan,Lead Cloth Seals and Related Items in the British Museum, No.196, Fig.28 for an earlier version of these armorial seals.


A most interesting article that includes reference to these types of seals and their American history has been written by Steve Cox - CLOTH SEAL MEDALS The transformation of a Cloth Seal into a Medal
 

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Old thread I know, but recently cross-referenced in another post.... so some corrections needed here to prevent misinformation spreading. Our coats of arms can be narrowed down to particular dates according to the emblems in the quarters and other heraldic elements.

The seal shown in the opening post has in its four quarters: the three English lions passant; the Scottish lion rampant; the Irish harp; the three English lions repeated. It also has an inescutcheon for Hanover and with a crown above it rather than a bonnet (outlined in red below).

Arms.jpg

Those elements together date the arms to between 1816-1837. After that, when Queen Victoria took the British throne, the Hanover inescutcheon was dropped because the Hanoverian throne could not be inherited by a woman.


The arms shown in post #6 predate the use of the inescutcheon, but have the horse of Hanover rampant as the bottom element in the fourth quarter. That puts the arms between 1714-1800 so, yes, that was the armorial used by George III in the first part of his reign, but also used throughout the reign of George I and George II.
 

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