Cloth Seal, Commonwealth, Alnage, Ridged Cross Shield Seal, Image by StuE, Found by Nasher.
Found in North Hertfordshire / Cambridgeshire area by Nasher, 17mm, 4.2g.
Missing // missing // shield bearing ridged cross, .THE.STA.SVBS(I)D(I)E.SEALE rose around // missing
Single disc from four part alnage seal showing rope border containing shield with ridged cross encircled by the inscription .THE.STA.SVBS(I)D(I)E.SEALE followed by a rose.
Matches disc 3 of No.54, Fig.18 Geoff Egan, 'Lead Cloth Seals and Related Items in the British Museum' Occasional Paper 93. "(offstruck) shield with ridged cross, THE S...IDIE SEA dotted pentagram around" and see seal 4321, p.143, Provenanced Leaden Cloth Seals by Geoffrey Egan, Sub-Department of Medieval Archaeology, University College, University of London. submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 1987. "lion rampant // CAN / TERBV /+ RI +/ +TP (ligature)+ // cross in shield, "THE" STA: SVBSIDIE"SEA: rose around // C/AD The legend on the third disc is presumably 'the state subsidy seal'. ... those with the shield having a cross are likely to be of Commonwealth date, when the cross of St George was a prominent national symbol."
See BSG.CS.00154 for what could be the other inner disc of this seal and BSG.CS.01406 for what is more likely to be the complete seal.
