Cloth Seal, Norwich Weavers' Company Seal, 165?, Image & Found by John GM.
Found on Thames foreshore, 20mm, 5.2g.
HC / (N)ROW / 1 6 5 (?) / BM(W?) // NO(R)W / ICH the N in Norwich has the final vertical extended and terminating in a curl.
Most of a Norwich cloth seal with the letters in a well known style:- NO(R)W / ICH on one side and the other side shows the surname initial of the 12 wardens of Norwich for that particular year, HC / (N)ROW / BM(W?), between the second and third row of letters is a faint date:- 1 6 . 5 ?
No records of the initials of the Wardens have survived before 1657 when they can be found in the Norwich Mayor's Court Book (held at the Norfolk Record Office) but see p.188, 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, "(N)ORW/ICH+/1654//HC/NROW/(16)... /... No. 2870 has an escallop to each side of 'I(C)H'."
See Nos.81-85 Figs.21-22, Egan, Lead Seals and Related Items in the British Museum.
Also see the 'Worsted Reformed' seals that were attached to the other end of these cloths.