Wax Seals   

• Seals have been used for thousands of years to mark the authenticity of documents. The earliest seals were impressions on clay, made with engraved cylinders or rings. Wax seals, however, did not appear until the Middle Ages. They were initially exclusive to figures of authority, such as monarchs and bishops, but gradually spread to aristocrats, monasteries, guilds, and eventually to ordinary people by the 13th century. These seals featured personal emblems or family insignias and were used in place of a signature. Interestingly, while seals were sometimes applied directly to the document they authenticated, most were attached to a cord or ribbon threaded through a hole at the lower end of the document. The use of wax seals to secure letters and prevent tampering did not become widespread until after the medieval period. Then, in the late 19th century, the invention of gum seal envelopes, which seal with just a couple of licks, made wax seals obsolete. In modern times, wax seals are primarily used for artistic purposes. Abi Raymaker For The Junior Times junior/1744099869/1613367831