Russian Bale Seal, Found by Linnet (James T. Britten) Image by Donnydave

Description	:	These seals are Russian flax bale quality control seals mostly originating from Archangel and St Petersburg. “Archangel seals are larger than their St Petersburg counterparts (typically about 28mm x 27mm, though some are as large as 36mm x 28mm) and carry more readily decipherable information. In addition to indicating the place of export (Archangel Port) or the passing of quality control (Archangel brak) Archangel seals most often also reveal the sometimes abbreviated name and rank of the Quality Control Officer (desiatnik), the contents of the bale to which they were attached, the quality of grade of the goods to be exported, the initials of the owner or producer and the date when the seal was stamped.” “Typically, on seals dating from the late 1830s onwards the obverse gives the place of bracking in the first line, followed by the initial and name of the bracker on the second and third lines. The final line contains a combination of letters and numbers which might represent the location at which the Officer worked or the registered number of the sealing irons he was entrusted with. The reverse side of these seals usually indicates, in order, the place and process of bracking, the contents of the bale, their quality, the initials of the producer and finally the date. …. Fourteen Archangel seals in Fife Council Museums (East) collection dating from the early 1830s differ in their configuration from those described above …. Typically, the first line on the obverse of these seals has the initials A.П. (A. P = Archangel Port). Nine of the seals have the same abbreviation of the rank of Quality Control Officer desiatsko which follows on the second line. One seal has desiatskoi, one desiats and a third desiask. Three are illegible. The seals are also unusual in providing the bracker’s initials rather than his full name.” “Order of presentation of information on St Petersburg seals The obverse has on its first line the initial L. D. (Л . Д.), followed on the next two lines by the initial and surname of the Quality Control Officer. The fourth line contains a combination of letters, usually H (N) or Ho (No) and numbers which might represent the location at which the Officer worked or the registered number of the sealing tongs he used. The reverse of seals carries on the first line the initials CПБ or SPB and on the second either two or three initials which denote the producer of the goods. The date is given last.” Lead Seals of Russian Origin in Fife – John Sullivan, p.211,Tayside & Fife Archaeological Journal, Volume Six 2000 The text of this is reproduced on line at - http://foundintheground.com/files/