File:Cloth seal (FindID 104591).jpg

English: A lead two disc cloth seal circular in shape measuring c30mm in diameter used to mark cloth for commercial sale. This cloth seal is very similar to two other London examples and G Egan explains that seals from London reflect the capitals importance as a major finishing centre for textiles and as England's principal cloth market both in terms of local consumption and of international trade that is reflected there (Egan 1995, p40 no 58-59, fig 19, p170).

The front face depicts the head of St Paul facing in a six-arched tressure with trefoils at its internal points.  The border inscription is now worn but what can be seen reads S'VLNA GII[    ]CIVITATE LOND the 'N' are lombardic.   On the reverse face there is a crown within a nine arched tressure.  The border inscription is again worn and cannot be read clearly.


 

 

This cloth seal is therefore from London and most likely to be pre-reformation in date, seals with the head of London's patron saint are known in some numbers with a variety of styles. The head on this example and its closest parallels (Egan 1995 nos 58-59), are closer in style to the medieval coinage than other examples. The design is believed to have continued in use up to the Reformation in the 1530s (Egan 1995, p40).