Bidspirit auction | 15th-19th Century. Album of European

15th-19th Century. Album of European Heraldic Wax Seal Impressions, Volume I (A-O). - This item is a large folio-sized archival album containing an extensive and systematically organized collection of several hundred heraldic wax seal impressions, likely compiled during the mid-to-late 19th century. The volume is systematically annotated in a German hand and organized by region, dynasty, or historical entity. The interior consists of heavy sheets of Museum De Concession cardstock, each page meticulously arranged with mounted wax seals in various colors including red, black, and natural/white tones. The seals range in size from small personal signet impressions to large state seals measuring up to 3.5 inches in diameter. Each impression is accompanied by detailed handwritten captions identifying the historical figure, house, or state, with associated dates ranging from the 15th century through 1862. Notable historical figures and lineages represented include Napoleon I (1805), Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (1840 commemoration), Louis Napoleon III (1862), Mary, Queen of Scots (Maria Stuart), and multiple generations of the Houses of Anhalt, Brandenburg-Prussia, Baden, Bavaria, Denmark, France, and England. The album provides a comprehensive sigillographic record of European nobility and royal history. Page dimensions: Approximately 15.5 x 11 inches Binding dimensions: Approximately 16 x 11.5 inches. The volume is in poor to fair condition. The half-leather binding shows extreme wear, with the brown leather spine heavily desiccated, peeling, and suffering from significant losses. The marbled paper boards are rubbed and worn at the edges and corners. Internally, the Museum De Concession cardstock pages show moderate age-toning and occasional light foxing, though they remain structurally sound. The wax seals are generally well-preserved; while some specimens exhibit characteristic hairline cracks or minor edge chipping typical of aged wax, the majority of the impressions remain sharp and the accompanying handwritten annotations are clear and legible.