Cloth Seal, Searcher, Rectangular-type, Named, William, Privy Mark

Cloth Seal, Searcher, Rectangular-type, William, Privy Mark, Image by Derfel, Found by Peter Olivant.
Found on the Thames Foreshore, 29 x 22mm.

Privy mark with W (?G) to top sides and decoration below, WILLIAM along one side and possibly surname along other side // (LO)NG 32 / RO / W...T 73 (both numbers incuse)

A rectangular searcher's seal from a series of similar shaped seals. See Geoff Egan, No.244 Fig.33, Lead cloth seals and related items in the B.M. (B.M.occ.papers 93), "This belongs to a series of seals with rectangular parts, all having the full name of the searcher on one side, and on the other a proforma stamp for length, weight and width ('long, waight, size') of the particular textile ... The figures were added after examination of the piece. ... See Baart et al 1977, 118-9 no, 71 for a dimension stamp on a seal of this kind found in Amsterdam in a deposit dated to c.1575-c.1650."
Unusual in having a privy mark.

From Paul Cannon, "Perhaps a new searcher’s seal Lead Tokens Telegraph, June 2006 see Fig 10 (John Silling) with similarities in the design of the privy mark on BSG.CS.01127 [this seal]."