'Really Special' Medieval Seal With a Roman Stone
- Editor OGN Daily
- 10 minutes ago
- 2 min read
A metal detectorist has discovered a "really special" medieval seal matrix, with a Roman carved gemstone at its centre.
It was found in Essex, south east England and has been declared treasure by a coroner. The seal comprises two parts, made around one thousand years apart. At its centre is an oval-shaped carnelian which is engraved with a two-horse team behind a charioteer, while the thick silver surrounding is inscribed "Richard's secret".
The beautifully carved ruby-coloured Roman gemstone probably dated to the late 1st Century BC or early 1st Century AD, and the best quality ones were imported from Italy during the 11th and 13th centuries. Whilst nobody can identify who the mysterious Richard is, he appears to have specifically chosen the carved gemstone, known as an intaglio - possibly as a way of showing he had an understanding of the Classical world - and incorporated it within the medieval silver casing. Altogether, it measures 27.5mm long by 20.1mm wide (1in by 0.8in).
Lori Rogerson, the county's finds liaison officer, described the object as a "really special find" and dated the medieval seal matrix to between 1200 to 1400. The inscription - which reads +SECRETVM. RICARDI - shows the seal was created specifically for a man called Richard. He would have used it to make a mark in hot wax to seal his letters and documents.
Miss Rogerson added: "It definitely would have been an indicator of the owner's social status as a way of saying, 'I have the means of obtaining something from a far gone time and place' and indicated they were quite important - or saw themselves as quite important."