Russian Bale Seal, Archangel, 1838, Image & Found by Mark Selby.
Found in Perthshire, 24 x 30mm.
First side:-
First line - АРХ.БР = ARkh.BR = Archangel.Brack (inspected)
Second line - ЧЕСКА = chESKA = low-grade heckled flax, the contents of the bale
Third line - 2 COPTЪ = 2 SORTB = 2nd Grade
Fourth line - ЕП = EP = initials of the owner or producer or agent
Fifth line - 1838 = year when grading took place.
Second Side:-
First line - missing but usually АPX:ПOP = Archangel Port
Second line - ДЕСЯТ - an abbreviation of Desyatnik = rank of quality control officer.
Third & Fourth line - МИХ[A]:СB / ЩНИКОВ = MIkh[A]:SV[E] / shNIKOV - the Christian and surname of the quality control officer - very likely to be Mikhailo Sveshnikov (an 1857 Archangel flax seal with this officer's name on is held in the Fife Museum at Cupar).
See Figs.47b - 52b, p.59 & 60, Russian Cloth Seals in Britain: Trade, Textiles and Origins by John Sullivan, 2012.
Inscription deciphered and completed by Ged Dodd of The PeaceHavens Project, IDS 225 using his extensive database:-
APX.БP / ЧeCKA / 2.CORTЬ / EП / 1838 // ДeCЯT / MИХA / CBEЩHИKOBЬ
(Inspector Mikha Sveshchnikov, APX. БP = Archangel. Brack = (inspected), CHESKA is a low grade heckled flax or hemp. 2-CORTЬ = 2nd Sort Grade, EP initials of flax owner, 1838)