French Customs / Tax Seal 508, Image & Found by James Crombie.
Found in Yorkshire, 16mm.
Small seal with deep circular indentation on both sides, one containing the stylised ligature CI / I, the other the number 508.
From a distinctive group of seals with various numbers on the reverse. Some have CONTRIBUTIONS around the inner raised edge and possibly IND - an abbreviation of Indirect to give 'Contributions Indirectes' - indirect taxes (French). "Taxes can be divided into direct taxes (taxes on income or property), and indirect taxes (taxes on alcohol and tobacco)." From 'France as a superpower 1700 - 1715'
This series of small, indented seals all have a variant of of the IC monogram. Most have a number in the indent on the reverse and many have CONTRIBUTIONS with an undeciphered word after it curved around the edge. The CI ligature looks to be from an earlier time. Philippe Lanez confirms this change but has not yet discovered when or why it happened.
From Michel Royer, "For the seals of the „indirect contributions” with monogram C and I in cursive letters. We can date these seals from the 3rd Republic (probably from the end of the 19th century, possible the beginning of the 20th century). We find this monogram on the seals of the indirect contributions for "tobacco" and "sugar" and these seals are also dates from the 3rd republic (late 19th century)."
