Bentham - cross on shield type flax seals

Cross on Shield (Crosslet)

Flax Bale Seals found at Bentham

(Updated June 2022 for the Lancaster Maritime Museum)

Russian Crosslet Flax Bale Seals are from Baltic Port Cities of Riga, Reval (Tallinn), Pernau, Libau (Liepaja), Narva, Memel (Klaipedo), St Petersburg, Windau and others. These seals from the Baltic ports had shields quartered by a Nordic Cross + or its counterpart, the cross of Saint George. The cross split the shield into 4 quarters with a set number of pellets to designate the port and they could well be customs tax seals for that particular port. However the only known port pellet designation is 1/1/-/- for Narva, the others are as yet unknown. On the reverse of the seal are the initials of the Grower/Owner/Agent and the number of flax plants in the bale. The 12K is 12 high grade long strong filament Krown quality flax.

#

OBVERSE click thumbnail
REVERSE click thumbnail

Balt

b03

Cross quartered
+ shield with
6/6/-/- pellets

CR

12

Baltic States
(flax)

Balt

b06

Cross quartered
+ shield with
6/6/-/- pellets

CR

12

Baltic States
(flax)

Balt

b07

Cross quartered
+ shield with
6/6/-/- pellets

CR

12

Baltic States
(flax)

Balt

b08

Cross quartered
+ shield with
4/2/4/2 pellets

HW

12K

Baltic States
(Krown flax)

Balt

b09

Cross quartered
+ shield with
4/2/4/2 pellets

HW

12K

Baltic States
(Krown flax)

Balt

b10

Cross quartered
+ shield with
4/2/4/2 pellets

HW

12K

Baltic States
(Krown flax)

Balt

b02

Cross quartered
+ shield with
-/-/-/- pellets

WM

12K

Baltic States
(Krown flax)

Balt

b04

Cross quartered
+ shield with
-/-/-/- pellets

WM

12K

Baltic States
(Krown flax)

Balt

b01

Cross quartered
+ shield with
9/9/-/- pellets

WLT

12K

Baltic States
(Krown flax)

Balt

b05

Cross quartered
+ shield with
9/9/-/- pellets

WLT

12K

Baltic States
(Krown flax)

The owner initials appear elsewhere with many other pellet variations than those shown

see http://www.peacehavens.co.uk/NEWSEALTYPECROSS.htm for more details.

Cross on Shield (Crosslet) *Flax Bale Seals found at Bentham* (Updated June 2022 for the Lancaster Maritime Museum) Russian Crosslet Flax Bale Seals are from Baltic Port Cities of Riga, Reval (Tallinn), Pernau, Libau (Liepaja), Narva, Memel (Klaipedo), St Petersburg, Windau and others. These seals from the Baltic ports had shields quartered by a Nordic Cross + or its counterpart, the cross of Saint George. The cross split the shield into 4 quarters with a set number of pellets to designate the port and they could well be customs tax seals for that particular port. However the only known port pellet designation is 1/1/-/- for Narva, the others are as yet unknown. On the reverse of the seal are the initials of the Grower/Owner/Agent and the number of flax plants in the bale. The 12K is 12 high grade long strong filament Krown quality flax.
#	OBVERSE click thumbnail		REVERSE click thumbnail
Balt b03		Cross quartered + shield with 6/6/-/- pellets		CR 12	Baltic States (flax)
Balt b06		Cross quartered + shield with 6/6/-/- pellets		CR 12	Baltic States (flax)
Balt b07		Cross quartered + shield with 6/6/-/- pellets		CR 12	Baltic States (flax)
Balt b08		Cross quartered + shield with 4/2/4/2 pellets		HW 12K	Baltic States (Krown flax)
Balt b09		Cross quartered + shield with 4/2/4/2 pellets		HW 12K	Baltic States (Krown flax)
Balt b10		Cross quartered + shield with 4/2/4/2 pellets		HW 12K	Baltic States (Krown flax)
Balt b02		Cross quartered + shield with -/-/-/- pellets		WM 12K	Baltic States (Krown flax)
Balt b04		Cross quartered + shield with -/-/-/- pellets		WM 12K	Baltic States (Krown flax)
Balt b01		Cross quartered + shield with 9/9/-/- pellets		WLT 12K	Baltic States (Krown flax)
Balt b05		Cross quartered + shield with 9/9/-/- pellets		WLT 12K	Baltic States (Krown flax)
The owner initials appear elsewhere with many other pellet variations than those shown see http://www.peacehavens.co.uk/NEWSEALTYPECROSS.htm for more details.