BSG.CS.01001 — Cloth Seal, London Coat of Arms, Portcullis

Found in the Algarve, Portugal, 24.7mm, 5.32g.

Crowned portcullis, inscription around // missing but rivet stub has fragment of the arms of London (shield bearing a cross with a sword erect in first quadrant) cloth weave imprint

An alnage seal for the city of London. The inscription is probably a variant of S' VLII'PAO'VIALLE'LON' it translates to 'seal of alnage of saleable cloths of London'. Seals with the arms of London on one side and a crowned portcullis on the other are rare.

This seal is evidence of the cloth trade between London and Portugal in the 17th & 18th centuries.