foreverteachable Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 I found this today along with a pewter button in a field that was in use for hundreds of years. I am interested in finding out what it is. Thanks! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-ROB Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Looks like a wax seal stamp What does it say? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreverteachable Posted April 30, 2020 Author Share Posted April 30, 2020 Thanks, I believe it reads IOY of I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-ROB Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 That's obscure! Maybe a variant typography of "Joy of I" --which is still a bit of a puzzle. If you can find some sealing wax or even modeling clay, make an impression. Appears to be an interesting design with horses and whatnot. I think the technology goes back to Ancient Babylonia. I know I have seen Roman seals in an archaeological museum. If that one is made out of glass paste, i'm tending to think it is late 19th century...just a seat of the pants estimate. Perhaps a positive impression in wax or clay will offer up more clues. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreverteachable Posted April 30, 2020 Author Share Posted April 30, 2020 Thanks a bunch I'll see what it says on play dough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-ROB Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Post a pic! Very interesting artifact you dug up there. Many of the Victorian wax seals are whimsical designs, but throughout history seals were used for important purposes, such as marks of identity and legal authority. A lot of the British/European seals have heraldic symbols on them, but there was a lot of "fun" stuff too, especially through the second half of the 19th c. Did you find this in the States? We don't really do heraldry here~~~ Once. when i was working in a used book store in Philly, a snooty old lady asked in an affected English accent if we had any books on heraldry, I answered, "Harold Ray? Never heard of him." 😜 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Valen Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Nice finds, does the top center hole have threads, or is it smooth. I can tell that it is brass and glass, so that should be for a wax seal. It could have been used for letters, documents, or even wine bottles depending on where you found them. Please let me know if it is glass and brass and a general area where you found them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreverteachable Posted April 30, 2020 Author Share Posted April 30, 2020 2Valen, The inscription reads, "Joy of I" It could be read as Joy of 1 perhaps as well. I pushed it into play-do and it left a stamp. It is brass and glass and was found in upstate NY in the Capital district. It reminds me of Roman carnelian stone jewelry. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreverteachable Posted April 30, 2020 Author Share Posted April 30, 2020 3 hours ago, 2Valen said: Nice finds, does the top center hole have threads, or is it smooth. I can tell that it is brass and glass, so that should be for a wax seal. It could have been used for letters, documents, or even wine bottles depending on where you found them. Please let me know if it is glass and brass and a general area where you found them. Thanks everyone for the interest and great questions. There appear to be rudimentary threads in the back. I included more pics. If you edit it with Instagrams editing you can bring out details better. I rarely find jewelry but for the last few weeks I have been on a jewelry run. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PimentoUK Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 An early 1800's glass intaglio seal matrix. It may be 'mourning jewellery' , it has that style, though so far I can't find a match. Here's a page containing similar ones, including one with the 'spoked wheel' body design.http://www.colchestertreasurehunting.co.uk/Postmedievalseals.html 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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