In France, Louis VII., A.D. 1137, first used red wax ; in England ; and Frederick Barbarossa, in Germany; and monastic orders and territorial barons for judgments, quittances, and other charters during the 14th and 15th centuries. Philip Augustus, A.D. 1180, first employed green wax, which was also used by the nobility and ladies. Black was employed by the Teutonic order in the 13th century. The form of the letters of the inscriptions changed from time to time ; Roman capitals were in use till the 12th century, when Gothic letters commenced with the form SI, SIG, or SlGILLVM ; and in the 14th century the legend was preceded by a cross +, and later by a rosette or star. Latin was the language usually employed. The name of the seal was sometimes on the legend, as tigillunt cont mune, common seal; sigillure secraum, privy seal ; contrasigillum, counterseal. The early French seals have invocations, as Christe protege Pippinum Regem," God save king Pepin." In England, the seals of conveying parties are now essential to all legal instruments whereby real estate is conveyed. The law recognises three royal seals, the great seal in custody of the chancellor, attached to all letters patent, grants of inheritance, or chattels real, offices in fee and write at common law, the privy seal kept by the Lord Keeper, valid for the issue of treasure, disposition of chattels, contracting or discharging a debt ; the signet, or privy signet in custody of the prin cipal secretaries of state, valid as authenticating the sign manual, and for the writ ne weal regno. The counter signature of a principal secretary of state is required by a statute for the use of all the seals.
(Comyn, Digest,' Patent; Coke upon Littleton, by Hargrave and Thomas, ii. 233.) Among oriental nations seals have been employed as a stamp. The Chinese great seal called se dates from the Tsin dynasty, B.C. 243, under whom they were square : under the 115.n dynasty they became circular. Other seals yin are generally square and made of gold, silver, copper, crystal, porcelain, steatite, wood, and other substances, of tall rectangular shape, surmounted by figures of lions, apes, dragons, and other animals. They generally have mottoes or sentences from Chinese classical authors, and impressions in various coloured inks are stamped in important places on commercial and public documents, books, and papers. The Arabs and Indians, from the earliest times, have used metal seals and gems to impress by means of black ink impressions on their books and other documents; only wax has, how ever, been used in modern times.
The study of seals is one of the most important in archirology; after the fall of the Roman Empire they replace the loss of gems and show the state of the glyphic art; of architectural progress ; of Christian symbolism till the present day; at the same time throwing great light on the history of states and families, their heraldic devices and genealogy.
Mabillon, De re diplomaticd, fo. Par. 1681 ; the Benedictine' Truitt de diplennatigus, 4to Par., 1759 ; De Wailly, Llemnits de Palcrographie, 4to, Paris, 1853, vol. Travaux de la Socilti .Spleragistique de Paris, 1852; Proceedings of the Archmological Institute, London, 1336-61.