Cloth Seal, Polish, Bialystok, Image & Found by Simo Kivimäki.
Found in Finland, 32mm.
Blank // суконная фабрика, Е.АНДГЗА... curving down (БѢ)ЛОСТОКЪ curving up around
From Paul Cannon, "I feel fairly confident that this seal relates to Bialystock, a major city in the north east of Poland. From 1807 to 1921 Poland had been under Russian control hence the Cyrillic script. I believe it reads (from 7 o’clock to 4 o’clock) [БѢ]ЛОСТОКЪ. This is the old form of spelling the cities name in Cyrillic. There are many examples of this spelling on seals in Euro-Plombs but none that parallel this particular seal. I cannot be certain about the name of the firm.
Bialystok had a textile industry which, during the 19th century, grew considerably under Jewish enterprise. The majority of the population at this time were Jewish."
From Michel Royer, "This is the factory of I. Bandholtz (И. БАНДГОЛТЗЪ), Białystok, which appears on the records of 1860 with 4 looms, 19 workers and 8000 rubles of annual income. The factory is no longer on the releves of 1869 and later. She has disappeared, certainly in bankruptcy."
