Cloth Seal, Dutch, De Rijp, Image & Found by Bob Carter.
Found in Blandford, Dorset, ?mm.
Two crowned herring // B
A fishing net seal bearing the arms of De Rijp in the Netherlands.
From Peter Eggers, "As far as I know now, there are just two lead seals from De Rijp reported in England and on the Internet*.
And only 5 or 6 such seals known (to me) in Holland.
Recently we know that they were intended as a quality brand for fishing nets made in De Rijp.
They date from 1607 until 1630. Before 1607 De Rijp was the port of the village Graft. That village called Graft also had its own fishingnet lead seals. These seals have on one side a cow in front of a tree and on the other side a letter, usually a D." Lower seal in this picture.
*This seal is another example (well rescued Bob).
