Seal matrix identification: lead, copper-alloy and pendant seals dated

A flat, pointed oval of grey lead. A small loop on the back. On the front, a fleur-de-lis and a ring of letters that read backwards.

That’s a seal matrix. It belonged to one person, often named on it, and it’s one of the most personal things a field can give up.

What it was for

A seal matrix is the die. You pressed it into hot wax on a document, and the wax kept the design. That impression proved the document was yours.

Seals are ancient, but in England, outside the Roman period, they seem rare until late Saxon times, and then only for the highest ranks. By the 12th century that changed. Government reached further into local life, and land and property were proved with deeds. Owning a seal became ordinary, even for people who couldn’t read or write.

UKDFD gives a good example. An agreement between Ranulph, Earl of Chester and Lincoln, and the men of Freiston and Butterwick in Lincolnshire, made between 1217 and 1232, has the seals of more than 50 of the men attached.

Check it’s a matrix

• The design is cut into the face, not raised.
• The lettering reads back to front. It reads correctly in an impression.
• There’s a loop, lug or handle on the back or top, to hang it or hold it.

If the design is raised and reads the right way round, you’ve probably got the impression, not the die: a cloth seal or bulla. See our lead seals and cloth seals guide.

The three main groups

Lead seals: 12th and 13th century

These are the simplest and most common early type. They’re lead or lead alloy and follow a standard pattern.

• Shape: mostly the pointed oval (vesica), sometimes round.
• The earlier ones often have an unpierced tab on the edge.
• Vesica ones have a small pierced lug on the back, at the top.
• The device is nearly always a fleur-de-lis, or a geometric take on it. Some look more like a sprig of wheat.

Lead didn’t always mean low rank in the early period. UKDFD notes the lead seal of Peter, Bishop of Chester (1075 to 1085).

Copper-alloy personal seals: mid 13th to mid 14th century

These are mostly vesica or round, with a pierced loop on the back or, more rarely, the edge. Shield and oval shapes turn up less often. Engraving is better, and the designs are far more varied.

• Heraldry: a plain shield of arms, or the seal itself shaped as a shield. From the late 13th century, foliage and small beasts fill the gaps. From the early 14th, the shield may hang from a tree.
• Religious scenes: the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God with banner) and the Pelican in her Piety, pecking her breast to feed her young. Often, but not always, on clerics’ seals.
• Everything else: birds, animals, fish, figures, clasped hands, trees, ships, buildings.

Some devices are a pun on the name. UKDFD cites the seal of Simon Fishburn, with fish in a stream (a burn), and Jordan Heron, with a heron. Others show a trade: a vat for a brewer, an axe for a butcher.

From the mid 14th century, named seals for ordinary people start to give way to stock phrases and mottoes.

Pendant seals: late 13th to late 15th century

A small round die, more rarely a heater shield for armorial types, on a hexagonal or round handle. The handle tapers to a pierced terminal shaped as a circle, lozenge or quatrefoil. Some still have a chain, or its rusted remains.

Most are copper alloy. Rare silver examples are known.

The dies are small and often hard to read. Few are named, apart from the larger heraldic ones. Instead they carry mottoes, many of them playful.

Pendant seals came back into fashion in the 17th century. These later ones often have no legend at all. They’re called mute seals.

How to read the legend

Take an impression first. Press the matrix into Plasticine, modelling clay or warm wax, and the letters read the right way round.

• Most legends start with a cross, usually at 12 o’clock, and read clockwise on the impression.
• SIGILLVM, or SIGIL, SIG or just S’, is Latin for “the seal of”.
• Next comes a Christian name in Latin: HVGONIS is Hugh, WILLELMI William, RICARDI Richard.
• FIL’ is filius (son) or filia (daughter). S’ HVGONIS FIL WILLELMI means “the seal of Hugh son of William”.
• A place name often stands in for a surname. Surnames weren’t fixed in the 13th century. S’ SIMONIS DE BARD is read by UKDFD as Simon of Bard, possibly Bardney in Lincolnshire.
• An apostrophe or a stroke through a letter means a word has been shortened to save space.

Lettering helps with the date. Early seals, before about 1200, use Roman capitals. Later ones mostly use Lombardic letters, with rounded forms. Black Letter came in around 1350 but isn’t usual on humble personal seals.

Common mottoes

From the 14th century, many seals don’t name the owner at all. They were for closing private letters, and the legend says so. Latin, French and English all appear.

The squirrel is a favourite on secret seals, UKDFD suggests because it keeps a hidden winter store. SOHOU hunting seals often show hares, hounds and hawks.

Don’t clean it hard

Lead and copper alloy both damage easily. A fine legend can be lost to a wire brush. Rinse off loose soil, dry it, and photograph the face and an impression before anything else.

Record it

Every seal matrix is worth recording. A named one can sometimes be matched to a person or a village in surviving documents.

A lead or copper-alloy matrix isn’t Treasure on its metal. A silver one at least 300 years old normally would be. And since 30 July 2023, a metal object over 200 years old can be Treasure if it gives an exceptional insight into history. See what counts as treasure and talk to your Finds Liaison Officer.

Heraldic seals and harness pendants often use the same arms and stock devices. More object guides are in the Find ID drawer.

FAQ

What is a seal matrix?

The engraved die used to press a design into wax on a document, to authenticate it. The design and lettering are cut in reverse, so they read correctly in the wax. From the 12th century even people who couldn't read or write often owned one, if they held land or property.

How do I read the writing on a seal matrix?

Press it into Plasticine or take a wax impression, so the letters read the right way round. Most personal seals start with a cross, then S' or SIGILLVM, Latin for ‘the seal of’, then a Christian name in Latin. FIL' means son (filius) or daughter (filia). An apostrophe or a stroke through a letter shows the word has been shortened.

How old is a lead seal matrix?

Lead personal seal matrices with a fleur-de-lis device are in use by the 12th century and rarely appear on documents after the start of the 14th. Roman capitals suggest an early one, before about 1200. Lombardic letters are more common later.

What's the difference between a seal matrix and a lead seal?

A seal matrix is the die, with reversed lettering, used to make an impression. A lead cloth seal or bulla is the impression itself, squeezed onto a bale of cloth or a document. Our lead seals guide covers the cloth seals.

Is a seal matrix Treasure?

A lead or copper-alloy one isn't Treasure on its metal. A silver one over 300 years old usually would be, because it's at least 10% precious metal. Since July 2023, any metal object over 200 years old can also be Treasure if it's of exceptional significance, so record every seal matrix with your Finds Liaison Officer.

Sources

Every figure in this guide comes from one of these. We checked each one on 3 November 2026.

1. C. J.'s Metal Detecting Pages, “The Seal Matrix”, parts 1 to 3 and catalogues 1 to 3 (UK Detector Finds Database, 2002). www.ukdfd.co.uk/ceejays_site/pages/SealMatrix1.htm
2. C. J.'s Metal Detecting Pages, “The Seal Matrix, Part 2: copper-alloy personal seals”. www.ukdfd.co.uk/ceejays_site/pages/SealMatrix3.htm
3. C. J.'s Metal Detecting Pages, “The Seal Matrix, Part 3: pendant seals”. www.ukdfd.co.uk/ceejays_site/pages/SealMatrix5.htm
4. DCMS, The Treasure Act 1996 Code of Practice (3rd revision, 2023), GOV.UK. www.gov.uk/government/publications/treasure-act-1996-code-of-practice-3rd-revision