800 YEAR OLD ANTIQUE MERCHANT’S SEAL

This is a merchant’s seal from the great camel caravans which brought merchandise from the middle and Far East c.1200-1400 AD.  The crusades had ended and commerce was reestablished.  European merchants would travel to the market where they purchased silk, spices, ivory and other things which were then bundled and sealed with the merchant’s individual lead seal.  They remained sealed until they reached their destination in Europe where the merchant or his representative took delivery and unsealed the package.  This one is 1 1/4” in diameter.  This makes a great gift for someone involved in shipping, importing or a trucker.