This document provides guidance for recording seal matrices on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database. It discusses recording principles, terminology, documentation standards, and search techniques. Key points include using consistent terminology like "SEAL MATRIX" not just "SEAL"; documenting material, shape, size, decoration, and parallels; and searching by description text as well as filters. Photographs should have good lighting and projected views. The document aims to improve the quality and consistency of records.

1. Recording seal matrices
on the Portable Antiquities Scheme’s database
CPAT-0791F5
+ S’: MADOC: F’: WIL

2. Recording principles for the PAS database
• The record replaces the object itself, just as a context
record replaces a dug-away archaeological context
• The record must give enough evidence to allow the
reader to mentally re-identify the object, just as a well-
published archaeological site allows the reader to
mentally re-excavate it
• The record must be consistent with other records, so
that we can be sure of retrieving every record that we
need, even from a really giant database

3. Total number
of medieval
seal matrices
recorded
during 2012:
322

4. Seal matrices

5. Use the term ‘SEAL MATRIX’ – don’t use ‘SEAL’

6. Seal: A piece of wax, lead, paper etc, with a
stamped design, attached to a document as
a guarantee of authenticity.
Seal matrix: The object used to make
impressions in wax as seals.
Definitions from the ‘scope notes’ on the
mda/English Heritage Archaeological Objects
thesaurus

7. Don’t use ‘SEAL’ for
a cloth seal either
– use ‘CLOTH SEAL’

8. Signet rings – use FINGER RING, with
‘signet’ in the classification field
NMS-7021D8
SF-91E9C6 IOW-
49E466

10. The Finds Recording
Guide:
• short
• doesn’t cover every
aspect
• often out-of-date

11. Consulting other records: • gives useful comparanda/context
• improves consistency (although beware of ‘drift’)

14. HANDOUT 5: MODEL OBJECT DESCRIPTION
N.B. NOT ALL OF THESE ASPECTS CAN BE RECORDED FOR ALL OBJECTS.
THIS MODEL DESCRIPTION DOES NOT REFER TO A REAL OBJECT.
• identification
• material (of each component, including rivets)
• surface treatment
• method of manufacture
• shape
• size and weight (measurements in mm and g)
• decoration
• reverse
• completeness
• wear
• wear on the breaks
• colour of the metal
• corrosion and loss of surface
• components
• date and period
• parallels
These aspects do not, of course, have to be recorded in this order.

15. HANDOUT 5: MODEL OBJECT DESCRIPTION
N.B. NOT ALL OF THESE ASPECTS CAN BE RECORDED FOR ALL OBJECTS.
THIS MODEL DESCRIPTION DOES NOT REFER TO A REAL OBJECT.
• identification SEAL MATRIX
• material (of each component, including rivets) MADE FROM COPPER ALLOY
• surface treatment GILDED ON THE REVERSE
• method of manufacture MADE BY CASTING AND ENGRAVING
• shape POINTED-OVAL IN SHAPE, FLAT IN CROSS-SECTION
• size and weight (measurements in mm and g) 23mm LONG AND 12mm WIDE
• decoration WITH THE CENTRAL MOTIF OF A SIMPLE ENGRAVED CROSS
• reverse WITH A RAISED LONGITUDINAL RIB ON THE REVERSE ENDING IN A
ROUNDED PIERCED LUG
• completeness ONE END BROKEN AWAY
• wear NO OBVIOUS WEAR
• wear on the breaks FRESH BREAK
• colour of the metal GREY-GREEN GLOSSY PATINA
• corrosion and loss of surface WITH A FEW GREEN CORROSION BUBBLES
• components
• date and period MEDIEVAL, 13TH CENTURY
• parallels COMPARE NMS-123456, DENO-987654

16. HAMP-71E530
DOR-9A4472
NMS-1D5176
A variety of
conical seal
matrices
LIN-EAD042KENT-
A8BAC7

17. SF-014730
IOW-7AA036
Orientation marks

18. Common and rarer shapes for flat seal matrices
Circular
Pointed-oval (not vesica-shaped,
and certainly not vessica-shaped)
Shield-shaped
(describe the shape of the shield)
Lozengiform or
lozenge-shaped
(not diamond-shaped)

19. ESS-6BE1D6
silicone-based
dental impression
compound
WMID-CB9991
Fimo baked in oven
Impression
materials
IOW-1F1242 and SUSS-E2E004
Dass air-drying clay

20. Why not take four or five impressions
while you have the Dass out of its bag, or
the oven on for the Fimo?
One for the finder
• One for yourself to keep, or to deposit in your
museum
• One to send to Helen
• One to give to John Cherry to thank him for all his
help over the years
• One more just in case

21. LVPL-A19123
Dry and cracked Dass, making the
impression harder to read
S’hENRICI’ FIL’ MVRAG (?)
NCL-EBD002
..PELLI TOMNE…

22. BUC-6E6D40 HAMP-CED0B0
NLM-EA2BD4
SWYOR-C76613
Agnus Dei (Lamb
and Flag) motifs

23. LIN-D66B72
S'ROBERTI PELERIM
NARC-750251
KENT-95C138
IOW-1F1242
Four-petalled flower. Four-leafed clover. Quatrefoil.
Four beech leaves. Four-armed folate cross.
SUSS-386942

24. SF3906
S' WILL: LE. OFFICIEL
Found at Blaxhall, not far from the Suffolk coast

25. LVPL-9E9384
S’. ROB’. FIL’. AL’. PILAT (Seal of Rob[ert] son of Al[an] Pilat)
engraved groove on the matrix, ridge on the impression

26. BH-2577D5
PUBLIC-2A4516
WMID-4439E7

27. Roman
capitals
Lombardic
lettering
Black-letter
script Renaissance
capitals (post-
medieval)

28. Extracts from an article in
Archaeologia vol. 79 (1929)
on the lettering of seal
matrices, by H. S. Kingford

29. blown up and reversed
LON-865A52
Ligated letters A and L,
and F and R

30. NMS-DE4EB2 ·: seel : sitte : : dalemaigne :
(Seal of ?Seth D’Allemagne)
WILT-5F2594 sigillum sub decanat ecclie sari (Seal
of the sub-deacon of the church of Salisbury)
Black-letter
seal matrices
of the late
14th to early
16th centuries
HESH-F166B5

31. You can search here for first names, even if you can only
read ‘S’ and a few other letters
Thanks to Andrew Rogerson for finding this website!

32. By-names can be family names
(like modern surnames)
or nick-names
including:
• patronymics (Roberti fil’ Johis, Marie fil’ Willelmi)
• place-names (Robert de Dunham, Henrici d’Esex)
• occupations (Justin le Coteler, Walteri Clerici)

33. Reaney and Wilson Ekwall

34. Harvey and McGuinness’s
list of anonymous
mottoes on seal matrices

35. …The inscription reads
x PRIVE SV (I am private).
KENT-0E2BC3 NCL-779217
…The inscription reads
+. SIGILL' . GERARD FIL.
MABILE (Gerard son of Mabel).

36. In the text: + S’GALFRIDI. MVI (or L) ChE (Seal of Geoffrey Muiche or Mulche)
In the inscription field simply repeat the inscription: + S’GALFRIDI. MVI (or L) ChE

37. Unfinished seal matrices
LON-37E577
SWYOR-3A9A82
40 records use the word ‘unfinished’
53 records use the word ‘blank’
LIN-D693A7

38. LVPL-35AD66: a
copper-alloy mould for
making conical seal
matrices
LON-476DD1: a
mis-cast matrix

39. SUR-8A3643 BUC-E18B17
IOW-CFD665

40. WMID545
LVPL2064

41. WILT-0274F8
HESH-F1566B5
NMS-C007E1
Cut and cancelled

42. Photographing seal matrices
• make the lighting as good as possible
• light and photograph the impression separately if
necessary
• check that the projection is correct
• check that the images are the same size

43. HAMP-DF3F47
ESS-EAFDE5
Bad lighting
Good lighting

44. Photographing seal matrices
• make the lighting as good as possible
• light and photograph the impression separately if
necessary
• check that the projection is correct
• check that the images are the same size

45. When combining views onto one image,
check that they are all the same size….

46. IOW-54F605
Basic set of views
projected correctly…
…plus a ‘flipped
horizontal’ version
(mirror-image)
and the photo of
the impression
Don’t include just the flipped image without comment, as we
might think that the matrix was carved backwards….

47. How to search easily for seal matrices
• start with words from the description field
in the simple search box
• then filter by object type (SEAL MATRIX)
and period (EARLY MEDIEVAL)
• add other filters e.g. county, material

48. + S’: SABINE: VXOR: IOhIS (Seal of Sabina wife of John).
NMS-F81B75