Russian, Circular Dated Seal

Russian Seal, Circular Dated, Image & Found by DaveA.
Found in Hertfordshire, no diameter given.

One side blank the other has Cyrillic script curved around the outer border:- TO*C.П.Б?.O ??? The centre has an obliterated symbol with four numerals evenly spaced around it in a format characteristic of this type of seal 1832 although the 1 and 3 are not certain.

With the help of other seals the Cyrillic writting curved around the outer border reads:- *C.П.Б.T.OTП.TO or S.P.B.T.OTP.TO in the Latin alphabet.

From Paul Cannon, "Based on the other custom’s seal TA can probably be expanded to ‘ТАможня’ and TOB to ‘ТОВар’? Whilst I can’t yet find any of the more common British types (with a blank reverse) on Russian sites perhaps this indicates they were attached to exported goods? I wonder if OTP can be expanded to ‘ОТРасль’ with the meaning of ‘department/section/branch’. The full inscription might therefore be expanded to С.П.Б. ТАможня ОТРасль ТОВар ie ‘St Petersburg customs department goods’??"


From Ged Dodd, "The date is read by starting with the 1 which is followed by a 7 or 8 and working round in a clockwise fashion .. reading the numbers as upright when they face the centre of the seal ..
This seal is therefore 1823 .. hole . *C.П.Б.T.OT.TO
The seals have a symbol in the centre taking many different forms .. this one has a hole obliterating the symbol, others are crescents, flowers, shields etc.
Cyrillic initials of City Customs Department Goods surround the rim .. the initials vary .. and can be as in this seal .. starting at *
*C.П.Б.T.OT.TO or extended as *C.П.Б.TA.OTP.TOB
C.П.Б (St Petersburg)
TAMOЖHЯ (Customs)
OTPACЛЬ (Department)
TOBAP (Goods)
(Riga seals have *РИЖОИ.ТА.ОТ.ТО)
These seals do not specify what the goods are and they were for general use with all goods.
One Riga seal has *РИЖОИ.TA. ПЕН.TOB specifying hemp.
РИЖОИ (Riga), TAMOЖHЯ (Customs) ПЕНKA (Hemp) TOBAP (Goods)
see ref IDS 261 on
The PeaceHavens Project, Seal Numbers 201 - 300 and
The PeaceHavens Project, Circular Dated Seals."