Cloth Seal, Gloucestershire, Alnage, RN, Image & Found by Keith Matthews.
Found in Somerset, near Yeovil, 19mm (diag.), 3.1g.
Missing // R(N) / III, 16(6)3 GLOSTERS // crowned fleur-de-lis C R to sides // missing
The inner parts from a four-part Gloucester alnage seal. The initials RN are thought to belong to the alnager, possibly Sir Richard Napper who is recorded as being "farmer of the said aulnage in the county of Gloucester and Bristoll ['State Papers, 1654: May (2 of 6)', A collection of the State Papers of John Thurloe, volume 2: 1654 (1742), pp. 273-285]" The VI probably represents 6d of alnage subsidy paid on the cloth the seal was attached to. The arms are those of Stuart Britain and the CR is for Charles Rex, most likely Charles II. See other RN Gloucester alnage seals on this page of the Gallery.
See PAS LON-3903B0 for a Gloster alnage seal marked with the initials TN - Thomas Nappier / Napper, probably Richard's son.
See seal 1777 in Provenanced Leaden Cloth Seals by Geoffrey Egan, Sub-Department of Medieval Archaeology, University College, University of London, submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 1987, "RN/III, "1648" GLOSTERS around (inner 'star'-shaped part) A similar, but possibly not identical, stamp with RN/III is on a disc found at Boughton Hill, New York State, U. S. A."
