Cloth Seal, Yorkshire, Alnage, Half Cloth

Cloth Seal, Yorkshire, Alnage, Half Cloth, Image & Found by Peter Eggers.
Found in De Rijp, Netherlands, 14mm.

Blank // crowned rose C R to sides // HALF / CLOTH / EBOR / 1644 // blank

Opened four-disc alnage seal for a half cloth from Yorkshire (Ebor). This date would mean Carolus Rex refers to Charles I.

The term half cloth has a long history with alnagers having to record their inspection and charge for half cloths from Edward III Stat.27, 1353 and most probably prior to that. It does not appear to apply to a specific type of cloth but simply one that is half the normal length. They must have gone out of favour at some point as Philip & Mary Stat.4&5, 1557-8 provided for half cloths to be made legally again.