There can't be many detectorists out there who have never found a bag seal. These are usually made from lead and come with some nice decorative patterns. I'll try and upload a few photos when I get a moment. Some of the later ones even have company names etc and what had actually been sealed in the bag. Many of these bags were opened on fields because they contained seeds etc and the seal just discarded.
Did you know:
Initialy the bags were shipped low in the ships hold and often water leaked onto them causing the hold to fill with methane.
Once the crew checked the hold with candle lanterns, the ship exploded.
To prevent methane gas the bags then became labled with the following information:-
Ship High In Transit. Hense the acronym S.H.I.T.
So next time you find such a seal you understand why the word above is in capital letters and was being used in such a way hundreds of years ago.
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