Corporate Seals / History

The first common seal of Monmouth Borough, 13th century until 1675.

This item comes from: National Museums & Galleries of Wales (Item reference: 31.78/6).

 

The establishment of boroughs during the middle ages led to the need for seals to mark official documents, such as the example shown here from Monmouth. This seal shows a single-masted vessel with an animal figure head at either end. This style of vessel was in use as a trading vessel along the north European coast, although today it is best known for its association with the Vikings. It was a potent symbol for many coastal towns which had aspirations to become trading centers.

 

The modern corporate seal has evolved from the days of ancient English law, when a barrister would mark a document by simply pouring hot wax on a document and pressing his ring into the wax to make an impression, although modern seals will usually only leave an indentation or impression on the paper

 

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the corporate seal or stamp was widely used by companies and organizations to validate business contracts. Each company had its own personal seal. These seals might include the company name, copy write, date and patent number. The company seal was what made the document an enforceable obligation.