Cloth Seal, Sarges, Image by StuE, Found by Barney Rubble.
Found in the Essex/Suffolk/Hertfordshire area, 21mm, 6.5g.
Hollow sun with pellet at centre, (TAUNT)ON:SARGES around // missing but (I?)C ligature, pellet to each side on rivet head
Most probably the seal of a Taunton clothier. See Geoff Egan, 'Lead Cloth Seals and Related Items in the British Museum' Occasional Paper 93. - No.97 Fig.23 for "Tanton Serges" believed to belong to the wealthy Taunton clothier, Robert Moggredge. From the ligature on this seal the clothier's initials were probably CI or IC.
See also seals 993, 1381 and 6732, p212, 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, "These seals are unlikely to be earlier in date than the late 16th century."
