Regency Trivia – Seals

Sorry I missed yesterday. I had a deadline.

Seals have been used on documents and letters for over a thousand years. They were used not only to seal letters, but as signatures on documents. There were two kinds of early seals, the engraved images of coats of arms that we’re used to seeing, but some were also portraits of an individual. Some seals were rings and fobs worn by a person and others, used mostly by governments, were stamps. Personal seals were often representative of the status of a person. Signet rings have been used since at least the 6^th Century.

As you might suppose, the original users of seals were monarchs and bishops, however, by the 13^th Century ordinary freemen used seals. Some seals were made of wood, but if the owner could afford it, the seal would be made of metal.

For a lot more detail on seals I refer you to the UK National Archives. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/seals/

#RegencyTrivia #HistoricalRomance #ReadaRegency

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