Bidspirit auction | Mounted Wax Seal Impression Reproduction

Mounted Wax Seal Impression Reproduction of the 1416 Amsterdam Secretum - This item is a mounted wax seal impression, serving as a sigillographical specimen that reproduces the medieval secret seal or secretum of the city of Amsterdam. The central motif features a high-relief depiction of a medieval cog-style ship on water. Two armored figures are positioned on the vessel; the figure on the left holds a shield decorated with three saltire or St. Andrew’s crosses. These crosses, which constitute the historical coat of arms for the city of Amsterdam, also appear on the flags at the mast-head and the stern. The seal is enclosed by a circular border containing a circumscription in Gothic Blackletter script. The physical specimen consists of dark green sealing wax affixed to a square tan cardstock mount. Handwritten ink inscriptions on the front of the mount include Aº 1416 at the top left, Amsterdam at the top right, R- Sigillum opidi aem- dammensis at the bottom left, and secreti -stelte- at the bottom right. The reverse of the mount is inscribed in heavy ink with SECR AMSTER DAM 1416. The circumscription on the seal itself includes the word Sigillum and characters corresponding to secretum amsteldammensis. This piece is characteristic of 19th to early 20th-century heraldic and archival study collections. Mount: 3.5 x 3.5 inches Seal Diameter: Approximately 3 inches.