Gerry's Collection
of Antique Wax Seal Stamps
The White Collection
The wax seal stamps are regrouped in various sections to easily explore the collection.
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Ivory is a traditional material often used for wax seal stamps. This seal stamp features a finely engraved round shield belonging to a Viscountess, depicting a tower and three stars symbolizing honor, excellence, and divine guidance. The boar appears to be domestic rather than wild.
A finely carved handle for this 19th-century antique wax seal stamp, made from ivory and silver. The engraving of the coat of arms indicates that it belonged to a noblewoman, with the crown signifying her rank as a countess. In heraldry, dogs symbolize loyalty.
This seal stamp features two engraved shields, symbolizing a marriage alliance between two families. A closer look at the coat of arms reveals a small galleon, a type of historic battleship, along with a telescope, a sword, and a moon. Could this have belonged to a noble seafarer? Most likely.
This antique silver and ivory seal stamp belonged to Princess Elisabeth Nikolaevna Saltykov (1772–1852) and Charles-Louis-François-Gabriel de Raimond de Mormoiron, Count of Modena (1774–1833). The handle, carved in the shape of a Moorish-style tower, screws open. At its base, an orange stone is engraved with the couple’s coat of arms. The Raimond de Mormoiron family coat of arms represents three families who, through marriage, held the lordship of Modena over the centuries. The County of Modena was first granted to the Mormoiron House by Boson II, Count of Provence. In 1279, it passed to the Raimond family, then to the Venasque family, before returning to the Raimonds three generations later. François Raimond, born in 1570, was the first to adopt the name "Raimond de Mormoiron." During the French Revolution, Charles-Louis entered Russian service, where he married Princess Saltykov.
Another example of a seal stamp engraved with two shields, symbolizing a family alliance. Used by a married noble couple, this stamp is finely carved. Well-crafted handles are not always easy to find, but ivory ones tend to be more elaborate than those made of wood.
An elegant ivory-handled wax seal stamp engraved with a heraldic cross of St. Andrew. Typically depicted as a saltire, this diagonal cross is often associated with St. Andrew and symbolizes bravery. The stamp may have belonged to the d'Anteville family.
This stamp is a true antique. Its bronze base is engraved with the coat of arms of the Le Bertre family, a noble lineage from Normandy. They held the rank of Chevalier (Knight), which is considered a lower rank of nobility in France. In the French nobility hierarchy, the ranks from lowest to highest are: Écuyer (Squire), Page (Page), Chevalier (Knight), Baron (Baron), Vidame (Vidame), Vicomte (Viscount), Comte (Count/Earl), Marquis (Marquess), Duc (Duke), followed by Princes, Crown Princes, and Kings.
This ivory stamp features the alliance coat of arms of Gasparine Marie Charlotte de Loyac, who married Jacques Raymond de La Béraudière in 1834. The de Loyac family were the lords of La Bachelerie. A notorious member of the family of her husband, the de La Béraudière family, is Louise. She was born in 1530 and was Lady in Waiting of Queen Catherine de' Medici. She was also known as "La belle Rouhet". Louise de la Béraudière was the mistress of several members of the royal family as well as prominent writers of the 16th century. Who would have thought? Louise de la Béraudière's origins are a subject of debate. She is the daughter of Louis de la Béraudière, Seigneur de Sourches et de Rouhet, and Marquis de l’Isle Jourdain. However, some sources suggest that her mother was Louise de Guiche - the aunt of Henriette de la Guiche, wife of Louis de Valois, Duke of Angoulême - rather than her father’s legitimate wife, Madeleine du Fou. She had an affair with King Antoine of Navarre and is said to have given birth to Charles III de Bourbon (1554–1610) as a result of their relationship.
This stamp was sold as a "19th century silver stamp," but while the coat of arms is well-executed, it is likely not an authentic piece. The handle is made of mother of pearl, which is uncommon for antique stamps. Looking at the base, you can see two different metals: silver and gold. It seems that the coat of arms matrix may have been reaffixed to this stamp, suggesting it’s not an original, and the engraving might be recent. While there are fakes on the market, some can still be quite well-made.
This is another very beautiful seal stamp, sculpted in ivory and one of the most elaborate in my collection. It holds a place in the "Masterpieces Collection," in my opinion, not necessarily for the engraving, which could be finer, but for the overall craftsmanship of the stamp itself.
This is a very beautiful stamp engraved with an alliance coat of arms of the Baron Durant de Mareuil. The handle is really nicely and finely carved with flowers that make it elegant. I believe that the handle is made from bone. it is ivory or bone.
Simple but elegant, this stamp is made of ivory and features a beautiful crown above a simple shield with three single-headed eagles. While the country of origin is unclear, in heraldry, a single-headed eagle is often associated with the Holy Roman Empire and appears in various national and regional coats of arms. In family coats of arms, the eagle symbolizes strength, courage, and nobility.
This is a very nice stamp of the Spanish Onis family. One illustration shows the full coat of arms, but sometimes the coat of arms is simplified to show only the first quarter, as seen in the second drawing. In heraldry, the "first quarter" refers to the upper left section of the shield. The Onis family is very old, with records dating back to the early 16th century. Originally from Torre de Villoria, a historical tower in the province of Cuenca, Spain, the family relocated to Salamanca in the mid-17th century. Their Latin motto, "Si Sit Prudentia," translates to "If there is prudence" in English. In heraldry, this motto emphasizes the importance of prudence or wisdom as a guiding principle for the family. The handle of the stamp is beautifully carved, making it a lovely addition to the collection.
This is a rather unusual little wax seal stamp that came from Spain. Made of bone, it appears quite old, and the engraving is well done. The shape of the shield is uncommon, and based on what I can determine, it dates back to the 16th century. It is the only one of its kind in the collection.
This is the wax seal stamp of my own family, which marked the beginning of my collection. I received it from my father, and it is probably one of the nicest gifts I’ve ever received. Our family’s coat of arms features eagles. In heraldry, the eagle is often shown with its wings outstretched, symbolizing strength, courage, and nobility. It is commonly associated with royalty, power, and authority. Our family motto is "Courageous and Loyal" (Preux et Loyal).
In this coat of arms, we see the French-style shield, which is typically rectangular with a pointed base. The crown is that of a Count, adorned with 9 pearls. The cross is one of the honorable ordinaries, taking up a third of the shield. In this case, it is a “cross humetty” (cross couped), as its edges don’t touch the sides. The presence of the 4 snakes (serpents) may symbolize wisdom, protection, and guarding against threats.
Another large ivory stamp, engraved with a coat of arms. When I acquired this stamp, it was very dirty, and the details of the coat of arms were nearly impossible to see. I cleaned it with an ultrasound machine, but I think that was a mistake. The stamp actually looked nicer before the cleaning. However, at least now the coat of arms is visible.
Looking at the shape of the shield, this stamp may have belonged to Marie Girard du Demaine, born de Rémusat. She was the wife of Count Jean Joseph Roger Girard du Demaine, who was the mayor of Avignon. Some research shows that the Girard du Demaine family used several variations of the coat of arms. Originally it was "Azure, a cross argent". But later versions include "Quarterly: 1st and 4th, Gules, a lion Or; 2nd and 3rd, Azure, five billets Argent. Overall, Or, a cross Azure", while in other versions the cross is Argent on Azure (version pictured). So, it is probable that different branches adopted different variations to differentiate themselves. The coat of arms engraved on this stamp presents one more variation. Indeed, the lions are apparently on an Argent background. Having noticed these variations, it is nevertheless very probable that the stamp belonged to a member of the Girard du Demaine family. Also, while Roger was a Count, some sources mention the crown of Marquis on the coat of arms.
A beautiful ivory wax seal stamp from Austria. The coat of arms suggests it belonged to an old family, as “scroll-eared top, lobed base” shields date back to the 16th century. The two shields of the same shape indicate an alliance between two Austrian families. The crowns are different and reflect the rank of nobility. In Austria, the crown on the left, decorated with seven pearls, belonged to a Baron, while the crown on the right, with only five pearls, was used by noble men or women.
Buying antique wax seal stamps online can sometimes feel like a gamble. This one comes from Germany and had been "on my radar" for several months. I finally decided to buy it, and it turned out to be a really beautiful stamp. However, I'm not sure who it originally belonged to. It was sold as a stamp from "Les ouvriers de Longwy," meaning "The workers of Longwy." Not particularly noble, of course, but still a very nice stamp.
Pure elegance. A Baron and a Baroness united in marriage. The stamp belonged to Jacques de Loynes du Houlley, who married Marguerite d'Argouges. The handle of the stamp is simple but very nice. The crown of Baron is also very nicely engraved on this stamp.
This is an exception in my collection. Besides being the smallest wax seal stamp I have, it is also not engraved with a family crest or coat of arms. Nevertheless, it is still a very cute (and very) little stamp.
Another stamp that joined the collection from Italy. The details on the crown are rather "basic," but that’s understandable given the small engraving surface (only 1.5 cm wide). The handle follows a common shape for ivory stamps, and ivory is always nice to handle.
A very nice silver seal stamp, engraved with the coat of arms of Charles Armand, Duc de Maillé (1770–1837), featuring the crown of a Duke and the mantle of a Peer of France. Charles Armand de Maillé was a Field Marshal, Knight of the King's Orders, and became Duke and Peer of France in 1820. The banner under the shield displays the family motto, "Stetit Unda Fluens" in Latin, which translates to "Stay above the flow". Could the (Or) shield charged with three red (Gules) nebuly fesses refer to the motto? A nebuly fess in heraldry often symbolizes water waves. The Duchy of Maillé (Pair de France) was created in 1784 for Charles René de Maillé de La Tour-Landry, who came from the junior line of the family. He was the first Duke of Maillé. (Ai)
A beautiful ivory stamp, engraved with the coat of arms representing the alliance between Baron Alfred Faure de Lilate and Marie Camille de Ponsort (deceased in 1909, married in 1873).
Another nicely carved stamp from an unknown family. The engraving clearly features three shells, which are commonly used in heraldry. The escallop shell originally served as an emblem for pilgrims and later came to symbolize long voyages to distant lands. It represents piety, victory, and warrior spirit. The Moore’s head in the fess suggests a possible connection with African territories.
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