Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1882 — Seals and Seal Rings. [ARTICLE]

Seals and Seal Rings.

The seal, as affixed to letters, has a claim for consideration in the fact of its historic interest. The seals of Sennacherib and Cheops are yet extant, together with a multitude of ancient pignets both of the East and West, and our letter seals are probably their lineal descendants and relatives of the offi* ill legal and royal Beals still affixed to documents. As symbols of power they were, no doubt, affixed upon a missive to forbid its opening by an unauthorized person, and their significance would be generally regarded. The early Christians used the sacred devices of the dove, the fish, the anchor and. the lyre; aiid the monks of Durham, becomiug possessed of a seal on which was figured tho liead of Jupiter Tonans, hod engraven beneath it the name of good king Oswald, thus sanctifying it to the uses of the church. In England, before watches were worn, the seal was attached to the wrist, forming in fact a pendant to a bracelet. Shakspeare’s signet had his initials, “W. 5.,” and a true lover's knot—a device which has led to the supposition that it was given to him by Anne Hathaway. Mary, Queen of Scots, had a Beal with the arms of the three kingdoms upon it, and the use of this informed a count of the indictment against her. Another ring of interest, which may possibly have been used as a signet, is the cameo ring in the possession of the Thynne family, which is said to be the identical one given by Queen Elizabeth to the Earl of Essex. This is only one of a thousand signets of historic interest that are still preserved. The “biggest thing” & nong these belongs, as a matter of course, to America, and was presented to President Pierce by some citizens of San Francisoo. Upon this was represented a kind of summary of California history and a number of devices, such as a grizzly bear and an enraged boa. Without it was engraved tho Presedent’s name, and in its interior parts were small cases containing specimens of various native ores. The weight of this precious gift was something like a pound t The materials impressed have been nearly as varied as the shapes of the signets impressing them. Gold, silver, other metals were anciently in use, and even prepared earths and clays. Common wax, of course, most prevalent before the introduction of sealing wax, a compound of lac and other materials invented in the sixteenth century. White wax was used by Otho I. of Germany, and by many of our monarchs. Rufus, however, very appropriately adopted red. Blue is tho rarest of tints; green was favored by the Emperors and patriarchs of the East. At present, Vermillion wax is most common, but should the method of sealing letters bo revived, we may expect, with thfe resources of modern chemistry and the diversity of modem tastes, a polychromatic range of hues unknown to former ages.— London Globe. /