lead seal

[islandgus]

just for the hell of it I am going to see if any of the people out there can give me some ideas on this lead seal. It was off a ship that was lost 1802 more or less. The back of the seal is blank so I have a feeling it was stuck on some container. It also had a gold leaf which is nearly all gone. Ideas. the scale is in mm.

 

[islandgus]

Back in 1994 I sent the photo to the Florida Museum Natural History for Maurice Williams. What he said was "the guilded gold item probably belonged to someone in the medical porfession based primarily on the caduceus. The fact that it has an anchor represented on it as well could mean the item belonged to a naval medical officer, but that is conjecture. I do not know its function." After that the photo just sat around till I posted it to see if I could get some new ideas.
So Ideas?? Hoping to find a clue as to the ships name.

 

[ivan salis]

might not be lead at all but rather "pewter" which contained mostly lead with other elements mixed into it for hardness --pewter buttons are well known and could have been gold gilted

might have been inlay for a box of medical tools -- pewter (over layed) gilted with gold

ASC stands for something!! --american surgical college ? -- or its owner like say --- Andrew Samual Cross or even if it was say ships medical tools the ships "name" maybe

i see a fouled ships anchor --fouled anchors are normally military but not always -- normally mechant ships used non fouled anchor symbols *

i also see a "winged" 2 snake caduceus which was often commonly used as a "medical symbol" in america (in error--as the correct one for a doctor should be a single snake no winged staff *--- the winged two snake is actually a heralds staff.)

 

[The Swed Hunther]

Don't know what it is, butt neet find!!

 

[Bramblefind]

Could that shield looking symbol at the bottom be the face of an owl?

It sort of looks like the Cliffs of Dover behind it

 

[ivan salis]

there is a sheild type (coat of arms ) device at the bottom of the caduceus ---it has two six ray type marks in the top part look sorta like this * check out the coat of arms

 

[RELICDUDE07]

My best guess American seaman corps?something like this late 1700s

 

[RELICDUDE07]

there is a sheild type (coat of arms ) device at the bottom of the caduceus ---it has two six ray type marks in the top part look sorta like this * check out the coat of arms

I think they are navigation stars - just a guess

 

[Got_4by4]

Wel, so far I like relcidude07's link to the picture of the Marine Hospital Service.

But I have an idea about A.S.C. .........All Spice Cologne?

 

[ivan salis]

the marine hospitals (set up to assist us merchant mariners *originally)--later on became the US Public health service hospitals

 

[islandgus]

this is from a ship that was inbound from Europe. Spanish? Maybe.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Wel, so far I like relcidude07's link to the picture of the Marine Hospital Service.

But I have an idea about A.S.C. .........All Spice Cologne?

I like relicdudes pic too.

Oh nooo. I hope its not an ASC Fine Wines bottle medallion label. Is it tinfoil thin?