Russian Bale Seal, Baltic States, Hemp/Flax, SPB, Image by StuE, Found by Paul Hewett.
Found in Essex, 23 x 20mm, 11.9g.
First side:-
First line:- SPB = St. Petersburg
Second line:- H?RH = Indicates the quality and type of goods but uncertain what initials stood for.*
Third line:- ?? = Initials of the owner or exporter
Fourth line ???? = Date of grading
Second side:-
First line:- ?Д = ?D
Second and Third lines:- И???? / ?HHЬ = I???? / ?II' = (initials & surname of Quality Control Officer.)*
Fourth line:- H1? = N1? = the number of the post the QA Officer worked at.*
These seals are Russian flax or hemp bale quality control seals.
See Fig. 12b on page 54, *Russian Cloth Seals in Britain: Trade, Textiles and Origins by John Sullivan.
