Cloth Seal, Anne, Alnage, Britannia

Cloth Seal, Alnage, Anne, Image & Found by John GM.
Found near Broken Wharf (Thames foreshore).

The majority of a four disc alnage seal of Queen Anne with her portrait on disc two with illegible inscription around and Britannia with 1 1/2 to sides on disc three. A crowned ligature, RWR with first R reversed, appears on the remains of the rivet.

See No.149, Fig.27, Geoff Egan, 'Lead cloth seals and related items in the B.M. (B.M.occ.papers 93)' where the bust matches that of Queen Anne shown here, the inscription on that seal thought to be MAG BRI REGINA, but on this appears to be SEMPER (EADEM). See also No.154, Fig.27, ibid, as although that seal is of George I it displays the same image of Britannia on its third disk with the 1 1/2d alnage levy and the same crowned RWR ligature used to stamp the rivet closed. This distinctive ligature is thought to be attributed to William III and this is a clear example of the alnagers using old stamps to attach the seals of later monarchs to the cloths they search.