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A lead alnage seal of the Commonwealth period. The obverse shows the arms of England and Ireland (shields bearing the cross of Saint George and the Irish harp). The reverse has an inscription, [??] / [T]AX / K / 1650 (possibly 1659).
The ’Alnage’ was a tax levied on cloth, and the purpose of the alnage seal was to provide evidence that the tax had been paid and the cloth was legally saleable. The seals were applied by officials (’Alnagers’) appointed by the government to oversee the process. It is likely that the tax in this case was two pence, as the obverse design reflects the reverse of the Commonwealth halfgroat. Seals with a penny design (shield of Saint George only) are also known. The Alnage, which had been levied since medieval times, was finally abolished in 1724. However, although this marked the end of their use for taxation purposes, lead cloth seals continued to be used for quality control purposes until the 19th century. Taken from UKDFD http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ukdfddata/showrecords.php?product=6813 |
