Russian Bale Seal, Baltic States, Flax, NP, 1777, Image by StuE, Found by Dave Haffenden.
Russian Flax Bale Seal. Found in Colchester Area.
Russian Flax quality control seal.
First side:-
First line - N:P = unknown initials.*
Second line - I-P.?? = initials and numerals indicating the content of the bales.
Third line - 1777 = date of assessment.
Second side:-
First line- Д(E?) = D(ye?) = dosmotr ? = Inspection ?.
Second & Third line - illegible - name of quality control officer.
Fourth line - H334 = N334 = number of work station used by QA officer.
See Fig.4b and section 5.2.4.1, p.21, *Russian Cloth Seals in Britain: Trade, Textiles and Origins by John Sullivan.
From Ged Dodd, "ДB = DV / ШEЛEПИH / H334 /// NP / HP:12K / 1777
Vologda flax Inspector SHELEPIN working out of 334 post in the port of St Petersburg, Kronstadt, Narva, Riga, Libau, Memel, Konigsberg, Pilau, Pernau, Revel or Tilsit ..in the year 1777 . . All NP seals before 1829 are flax seals and NP is a certification of the flax bracking (inspection) by the Russian Empire.). NP does not mean this seal was shipped from Narve Port (but it may have been .. however what is certain is this dew-retted flax from Vologda of very high quality .. grown on the banks of the rivers Viledga (Spolvychegodsh region) and Sukhona (Ustyug region). .
The Grower/Owner/Agent initials are HP in ligature form, with 12 high quality Krown flax plants in the bale. See ref IDS1172 on The PeaceHavens Project, Seal Numbers 1101 - 1200.
