Gerry's Collection
of Antique Wax Seal Stamps
The Wooden Collection
The wax seal stamps are regrouped in various sections to easily explore the collection.
Page 1 Page 2
Seal stamp engraved with the coat of arms of the alliance of Marshal of France Louis de Conflans, Marquis of Armentières, and Marie Charlotte de Senneterre (or Saint-Nectaire). The engraving includes the collar of the Order of the Holy Spirit, set upon crossed batons of the marshals of France. Louis de Conflans (1711-1774) was a French general. He was promoted to Lieutenant General in 1746 and was made a Marshal of France in 1768. He was the son of Michel III de Conflans, Marquis of Armentières, first gentleman of the chamber to the Duc d'Orléans and of Diane Gabrielle de Jussac, lady of the palace to the Duchesse de Berry, then dame de compagnie to the Duchesse d'Orléans. In 1770, he married Marie-Charlotte de Senneterre, granddaughter of Jean Charles de Saint-Nectaire.
An old looking stamp is still very beautiful. It means that the stamp travelled through decades, or sometimes centuries, and carries lots of history. Old looking stamps can actually look nicer, more interesting and more important than the perfect shiny ones. Question of taste, of course. This one comes from Austria.
The supporters on this coat of arms are greyhounds. In heraldry, greyhounds symbolize specific qualities associated with these animals. Traditionally, greyhounds are admired for their loyalty. A greyhound is known for being a loyal companion, making it a fitting emblem for steadfastness and faithfulness. Nobility and Elegance is other meaning of their presence in a coat of arms.
This interesting and rather rare seal stamp made of oak and silver belonged to a high-ranking military officer. The shape is beautiful and unusual, with the letter H as the top inlaid. The upper rim shows the name E B Herbert, 17th Lancers, and Oct 21, 1901. The seal itself shows the alliance coat of arms of the Herbert and the Acton families. Edward Bleiddian (E.B.) Herbert was bord in 1858 in Wales. He married Hon. Mary Elizabeth Anne Dalberg-Acton, daughter of John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton of Aldenham and Maria Anna Ludmilla Euphrosina von und zu Arco auf Valley, on 21 October 1901. He gained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the service of the 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own).
Old is beautiful. This stamp came from France. The handle is so worn out that we can only wonder how many times it was used to seal a document. Even the engraving is a little bit uneasy to analyze. When looking at the chevron before to clean the matrix a bit, I thought it was Argent. But it could also be Or. Difficult to say. Interesting addition to the collection.
On the engraving of this stamp, we can see two "mullets of six points". Mullet is the heraldic term for a star-like figure, often depicted with straight, evenly spaced rays. The number of points is usually specified if it differs from the default five-pointed mullet. If the rays are wavy, it is more accurately called an estoile.
This interesting stamp of the 1820s is from Hungary. The three Vert (Heraldic green) hills at the base of the coat of arms, surmounted by a crown and a swan, represent the mountains Tátra, Mátra, and Fátra, and are also depicted in the coat of arms of Hungary. The stamp is from a member of the Kiszely family, which was from Benesat (Hungarian: Benedekfalva), in Romania. Historically, a significant part of modern-day Romania was part of the Kingdom of Hungary. The Hungarian nobility can be traced back to the foundation of the Kingdom in 1000 AD under King Stephen I, but came to an end after World War II and the establishment of a communist regime in Hungary. However, many Hungarian families with noble heritage continued to preserve their cultural traditions and history privately. (Ai)
The coat of arms of this stamp shows an arm, the hand holding a sword, emerging from a cloud. We can't see a sleeve covering the arm, which means that, in this case, the arm is "proper". Proper means that it is depicted in its natural color. The hand emerging from a cloud might represent divine justice or strength granted by God. (Ai)
This stamp belonged to a member of the Desmarets family, the Marquis of Maillebois. Genealogical research can be fascinating and provides valuable insights into historic noble families. The round shield in this engraving suggests that this stamp belonged to a lady of the Marquis of Maillebois' family, possibly Madeleine Béchameil de Nointel, who was married to the 2nd Marquis of Maillebois, Nicolas Desmarets (1648–1721). Together, they had five sons and six daughters, so the stamp may have been passed down through one of them. However, I personally find it very unlikely that it could have survived for 300 years. So, the stamp could have also belonged to Louise Marie Emmanuelle de Tourzel d'Alègre, who married Jean-Baptiste II, Marshal of Maillebois and 3rd Marquis of Maillebois (1682–1762). She was the youngest daughter of Marquis Yves V of Allègre. When she married Jean-Baptiste-François Desmarets, Marquis of Maillebois, she became the Marquise of Maillebois. Together, they had one son and three daughters. Another possibility is that this stamp belonged to Marie-Madeleine de Voyer d'Argenson, who was married to Yves-Marie Desmarets, the 4th Marquis of Maillebois and Marshal of France (1715–1792). Yves-Marie was initially referred to as the Count of Maillebois.
Page 1 Page 2