BSG.CS.00880 — Cloth Seal, Sandwich, Cinque Ports

Found in Noord Holland, 41mm.

Three lions rampant and three ships dimidiated and conjoined, SAND...XXX*OV(T?)ER... around // griffin?, ...*LXXX*... around

A cloth seal bearing the arms of Sandwich (though lions facing right instead of the conventional left), one of the Cinque Ports of England, Heraldry of the World, Sandwich. The low resolution picture does not allow for a better transcription of the inscriptions.

See p.144 in 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, "Another seal excavated in Amsterdam (Baart 1977,117-8, no. 68 *) has: three lions passant and the hulks of as many ships dimidiated and conjoined; a secondary rectangular stamp has 00 // lion rampant. This seal was found in a context dated to between 1575 and 1650. Like no. 1756, it has one rivet. The significance of the 00 mark is unknown."

“In 1561 a group of families, numbering 406 persons, were allowed to settle in Sandwich. They apparently came from London, being 'planted', upon the Queen's order, with the purpose of 'repaire to our said towne and porte of Sandwich' through textile production and fishing.” [Harte, N.B., 1997, p.218, Holderness, B.A.,The Reception and Distribution of the New Draperies in England, pp.217-243].