What is Seal (device)?
[[Image:siegel.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Wax seal on an envelope]] A '''seal''' is something such as a piece of [[wax]] which has an official mark on it, and which is attached to an important [[letter]] or [[document]] to make it official. It can also mean the device (e.g. a metal stamp or ring) which is used to make the official mark. The word comes from the [[Latin]] “sigillum”. The study of seals is called Sigillography. == Impression == Seals are used on documents to prove that they really did come from the person who [[signature|signed]] it (they “authenticate” the document). A seal could be put on the letter itself, or on the envelope where it is stuck down. The writer would pour some wax over the joint of the letter, then press a ring or metal stamp (called a matrix) which has his official mark on. This meant that no one would be able to open the letter and then close it again, because the seal will break when the letter is opened. Most governments still put seals on important documents. Letters do not normally have seals any more, even important letters. Sometimes [[lead]], [[pewter]] or [[ivory]] were used instead of wax. Each seal is different from any other. This means that an important person (e.g. a king) has his own personalized stamp. == History of seals== Seals were used in very early civilizations. In ancient [[Mesopotamia]] seals were engraved on [[Cylinder seal|cylinders]], which could be rolled to create an impression on clay. Signet-rings of kings from [[Ancient Egypt]] have been found. From [[Ancient Egypt]] seals in the form of signet-rings of kings have been found. Other ancient seals come from [[Saudi Arabia]] or the [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greek]] and [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] times. After the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 seals were not used so much. The [[Pope]]s used lead seals, and [[Charlemagne]] (who died in 814) had a special seal engraved with Jupiter Sarpis. In England all the kings from [[Edward the Confessor]] onwards had their own “seal of majesty”. Seals fr