BSG.CS.01015 — Cloth Seal, Packer's Seal, Will Knipe

Found in the Algarve, Portugal, 27.4mm, 12.06g.

Blank // WILL / KNIPE / PACKER

Packers ensured cloths were 'packed into proper parcels fit for exportation'. A number of packers' seals are known, with full personal names. Most are of eighteenth/early nineteenth-century date [Egan, G., 1995, No.266, Fig.34,].

The find spot is evidence of Britain's cloth trade with Portugal.

From Paul Cannon, "For the will of William Knipe of London, Packer (proved 1748) see The National Archives, Kew, PROB 11/760/236, Will of William Knipe, Packer of London, 01 March 1748 and another document of 1739 Huntingdonshire Archives, CON 3/5/6/3, Lease in Chingford. ... For another recent seal of this type see PAS SUR-7E7126 (and another PAS BH-7A00E6) Dating help comes from the following link to a document (lease) of 30 June 1739, which refers to William Knipe of London, packer The National Archives, CON 3/5/6/3."