Cloth Seal, Belgian, Turnhout, St Peter, Image & Found by Mark Duell.
Found near Winchester, Hampshire, 26mm, 7.9g.
St Peter holding a large key in each hand S... (P)EETER around // missing but stub has traces of a stamp and the reverse of the rivet disc has a herringbone weave impression
The other disc on these seals is known to bear an ornate shield with a simple pale representing the arms of Turnhout (not to be confused with the three lions of Oud Tournhout). See BSG.CS.01076 for the inscription around the other side.
See Geoff Egan, Medieval and later trade in textiles between Belgium and England. The picture from some finds of cloth seals, Exchanging Medieval Material Culture Studies on archaeology and history presented to Frans Verhaeghe Brussels 2010:-
"Turnhout: This town produced linen textiles recorded as being traded to London in 1567-1568 under the name ‘Turnhout ticks’, which were used for bedding. The arms on the stamps are the former ones of the town. A detailed report on the Turnhout seals found in Britain is in preparation. Two basic varieties are known in England. Imprints on both are of a twilled fabric. [Firstly] Small seals of which several variants are known (production values for the engraving of the dies were not high, and the legend can be very difficult to read): shield with pale, TVRNOVT around (blackletter) // hexagram with pellets in the triangles. Several seals are from London. Outside the capital, two were found in Salisbury (Wiltshire) and single examples are known from Kingsholm, Gloucester (Gloucestershire), King’s Lynn (Norfolk) and Brightstone (Isle of Wight). The devices are similar (but differ in details such as the shape of the shield and the number of the star’s points) to those for petits scéaux on a matrix formerly in a local collection. Peter was the town’s patron saint. [Secondly] Large seals : standing, long-robed figure of St Peter holding two keys, (p)i(eter...) around // ornate shield with pale, (t)vrnhovt around."
