An introduction to the subject of medieval seals in Britain, this text discusses every kind of seal used for authenticating documents, their development, design and use. Many of the seals are from the extensive collections of the British Library and the Public Record Office. A detailed caption of each seal is provided, including the seal's actual dimensions, together with an index of mottoes and inscriptions. Considerable references to contemporary records place the seals in their historical context.

A Companion to Seals in the Middle Ages is a cross-disciplinary collection of fourteen essays on medieval sigillography. It is organized thematically, and it emphasizes important, often cutting-edge, methodologies for the study of medieval seals and sealing cultures.

Personal identification is very much a live political issue in Britain and this book looks at why this is the case, and why, paradoxically, the theft of identity has become ever more common as the means of identification have multiplied. Identifying the English looks not only at how criminals have been identified - branding, fingerprinting, DNA - but also at the identification of the individual with seals and signatures, of the citizen by means of passports and ID cards, and of the corpse. Beginning his history in the medieval period, Edward Higgs reveals how it was not the Industrial Revolution that brought the most radical changes in identification techniques, as many have assumed, but rather the changing nature of the State and commerce, and their relationship with citizens and customers. In the twentieth century the very different historical techniques have converged on the holding of information on databases, and increasingly on biometrics, and the multiplication of these external databases outside the control of individuals has continued to undermine personal identity security.

Chiefly papers originally presented at a conference held at the British Museum, Feb. 16-17, 2007.

“An intriguing look into the past through The National Archives . . . It offers a glimpse into the different seals of the monarchs, nobility, and clergy.” —Tudor Blogger Royal Seals is an introduction to the seals of the kings and queens of England, Scotland and latterly the United Kingdom, as well as the Church and nobility. Ranging from Medieval times to modern day, it uses images of impressive wax seals held at The National Archives to show the historical importance of these beautiful works of art. Included are features on the great seals of famous monarchs like Richard III, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and twentieth-century monarchs, as well as insights on the role of seals in treaties and foreign policy. With ecclesiastical seals and those of the nobility and lower orders included, this is a comprehensive and lavishly illustrated guide. “It is actually very fascinating as the book looks at the different types of seal used by various monarchs and why the seal came into being. We read about some of the most notable monarchs such as Charles II, George IV, James I, Henry VIII and more. But what has to be the best part of this book produced in conjunction with The National Archives, is the high quality of the pictures, certainly fantastic and really do show off the book at its best.” —UK Historian “The book should interest readers of Medieval Archaeology, providing a good introduction to the subject through what is undoubtedly an amazing national collection.” —Medieval Archaeology