Russian Bale Seal, Baltic States, Flax, SPB, 1843, Image by StuE, Found by Grant.
Found in Scotland, 20mm, 18.7g.
First side:-
First line:- SP(B) = St. Petersburg
Second line:- NP.3 = Indicates the quality and type of goods but uncertain what initials stood for.*
Third line:- P.K. = Initials of the owner or exporter (over 30 sets are known - P.K. is known on other seals from the 1930's*)
Fourth line 184(1?) = Date of grading
Second side:-
First line:- ЛД = LD = Flax Inspection (L'nyannoy Dosmotr)
Second & Third lines:- (E?).ЖНГ / ЧЕВ(Ь?) = (E?).zhNG / chEV' = initials & surname of Quality Control Officer*
Fourth line:- H.(3?) = N.(3?) = the number of the post the QA Officer worked at.*
These seals are Russian flax or hemp bale quality control seals.
See Fig. 12b on page 54, and page 22 (5.2.5.12.), and page 23 (5.2.6.2.1), *Russian Cloth Seals in Britain: Trade, Textiles and Origins by John Sullivan.
Inscription deciphered and completed by Ged Dodd of The PeaceHavens Project, IDS 25 using his extensive database:-
SPB / NP._3 / P.K. / 1843 // ЛД = LD / И. ЖИГAЧEBЬ = I. ZHIGACHEV / H53
