A truly wonderful Victorian desk seal, now ready for a new desk.
This is a late Victorian sterling silver handled wax seal, heavily chased with scrolling acanthus and repoussé work, the cartouche hand-engraved with a script monogram ER.
The shield-shaped matrix is intaglio engraved with the arms of the Rathbone family of Liverpool - a prominent merchant family - showing the demi-lion crest over a Roman fasces with five bezants below, and the motto
SUAVITER ET FORTITER
Mildly and Firmly
The seal is still sharp and will stamp beautifully.
These lived on a gentleman's writing desk and were used to seal correspondence with hot wax - a personal signature before signatures existed. The handle is hollow, as they all were, and has that lovely weight and patina only old sterling gets.
Found in fantastic condition - no splits, no repairs, monogram crisp, intaglio deep.
A perfect piece for a collector of heraldry, a Rathbone family descendant, or anyone who still writes letters.
Details:
• Material: Tested sterling silver, hallmarks likely on edge of matrix (typical English)
• Age: Circa 1880-1900
• Monogram: ER in script
• Crest: Rathbone - Suaviter et Fortiter