Bidspirit auction | 16th to 18th Century Collection

16th to 18th Century Collection of Dutch and Netherlandish Wax Seal Impressions - A collection ofwax seal impression specimens, primarily executed in red sealing wax with one translucent green specimen. This group represents a significant sphragistic archive of Dutch and Netherlandish heraldic, municipal, and ecclesiastical history. The collection includes specimens of original seals dating from the mid-16th through the late 18th centuries. Identified subjects include Philip II of Spain as Duke of Burgundy and Count of Flanders (dated 1564), the oldest municipal seal of Middelburg (dated 1551), the municipality of Beverwijk (dated 1601), and the Baljuwschap van de Nieuuburgen (dated 1795). Other specimens include an equestrian seal for Wulfard de Bar of Borselen, the arms of the Count of Valangin, and a large ecclesiastical seal depicting an enthroned Virgin and Child. The green specimen is noted as an impression from a copper seal. Each impression is mounted on an individual cardstock identification mount featuring detailed handwritten annotations in Dutch and Latin. Mounting cards frequently bear institutional or private collection stamps, including Col-Graadt-v-Roggen and Or; Lak. Coll. Caland. One card carries a 1931 acquisition note. Seal diameters range from 1.5 inches to 3.125 inches. Mounting cards range approximately from 3.5 inches by 4 inches to 5 inches by 5.5 inches. The collection shows varying degrees of preservation consistent with age and material brittleness. The equestrian seal (top left) and the large imperial heraldic seal (top center-right) exhibit significant cracking and fragmentation. Most smaller and medium-sized seals remain intact with clear, sharp impressions. One seal displays significant dark discoloration or charring. The mounting cards show expected age-related toning, minor foxing, and edge wear, but remain structurally sound with legible annotations.