Not a Cloth or Bag Seal, Kaaslood (Cheese Stamp), Image & Found by Hessel Tot.
Found in the Netherlands, 42mm, 77g.
Anchor T (H?) to sides // blank
Some excellent information on these stamps is given by Allex Kussendrager on his site Bakenloden, "A farmer on Texel who knows everything about sheep and cheese confirmed that an impression was made in the (sheep) cheese with the XT loden. The letters T - X in mirror writing stand for T e X el. ... Such leads were used as a stamp to mark Texel sheep's cheese. The oldest mention of these marks dates from 1477, in the Seals and Statutes of Texel. Only whole sheep's milk could be used as the basis for the sheep's cheese, not skimmed and not partially replaced by cow's milk.
All batches of cheese weighing 10 pounds or more and intended for export (export from Texel) had to be inspected by an inspector in the stedewage. In addition, everyone had to print their own brand in the cheese, so that tampering could be traced (Texel Municipal Archives no. 1, approvals and statutes). Later inspections show that this private brand was gradually replaced by an island brand , a round lead plate with a diameter of approximately 4 centimetres, in which an anchor was cast and the letters TX on both sides."
This seal is unusual as the anchor and letters are sunken rather than raised suggesting it has been stamped rather than being the die and the 'X' looks more like a K or H. Also recorded on the link above.
