Medieval Lead Bag and Tax Seal Group
14th century A.D. and later. One bearing the bust of a crowned monarch; one with GW over a madder-bag, showing that he was a dyer; one with partial legend within beaded border to one face and coat of arms to the other; one with partial legend 'THE [COMMON WEA]LTH' and arms of the Commonwealth (1649- 1660); one bearing a cloth-worker's privy mark. See Stuart F. Elton, Cloth Seals. An illustrated reference guide to the identification of lead seals attached to cloth, Oxford, 2017; see also Elton, pp.157-9, for Commonwealth seals. 35.5 grams total, 18-32 mm (3/4 - 1 1/4 in.).

Acquired on the UK market, 1990s. Property of a retired academic. Elton explains (p.269) that though similar in shape to a wool-sack, the madder-bag 'has a series of criss-crossing lines representing the cordage holding its contents in place during the vigorous dyeing process'. [5, No Reserve]