Victorian Sterling Silver Wax Seal Desk Stamp - Rathbone Family Crest - Suaviter et Fortiter - ER Monogram - c.1890

A truly wonderful Victorian desk seal, now ready for a new desk. This is a late Victorian sterling silver handled wax seal, heavily chased with scrolling acanthus and repoussé work, the cartouche hand-engraved with a script monogram ER. The shield-shaped matrix is intaglio engraved with the arms of the Rathbone family of Liverpool - a prominent merchant family - showing the demi-lion crest over a Roman fasces with five bezants below, and the motto SUAVITER ET FORTITER Mildly and Firmly The seal is still sharp and will stamp beautifully. These lived on a gentleman's writing desk and were used to seal correspondence with hot wax - a personal signature before signatures existed. The handle is hollow, as they all were, and has that lovely weight and patina only old sterling gets. Found in fantastic condition - no splits, no repairs, monogram crisp, intaglio deep. A perfect piece for a collector of heraldry, a Rathbone family descendant, or anyone who still writes letters. Details: • Material: Tested sterling silver, hallmarks likely on edge of matrix (typical English) • Age: Circa 1880-1900 • Monogram: ER in script • Crest: Rathbone - Suaviter et Fortiter