Cloth Seal, Rash, Double Crown, Image & Found by Derfel
Found on Thames foreshore, 39mm.
Two crowns one above the other with foliate design between and to sides, inscription around DVBLE CRON RASH
Possibly a single inner disc from a four part cloth seal (the rivet and rove discs being much smaller), although there is no clear cut or tear mark where these were removed on this or the other example given below. The owner has stated "I cant see anywhere the other parts could be attached, and the edges seem unbroken", which suggests a cloth mould was used as a basis to produce this souvenir or token in the same manner as happened with the Gloria in Excelsis London design.
Rash is a type of cloth, "The term refers to RASH made of WORSTED, as opposed to SILK RASH. It was listed among the SILK in the 1657 Book of Rates, but in 1660 was equated with CLOTH SERGE. Oxford English Dictionary earliest date of use: 1592" from the Dictionary of Traded Goods and Commodities, 1550-1820, Nancy Cox and Karin Dannehl, 2007.
"Walloon refugees settled in Southampton in 1567. They wove new draperies such as rashes, serges and frisadoes ... The Walloons at Canterbury probably established their textile industry in the mid 1570s. Eight hundred and thirty cloths were sealed at the Cloth Hall there in 1576 (probably the first year the system operated), at 2d per cloth. The principal products were bays and says, with silks and silk rashes becoming more important (and later including some very elaborate and expensive fabrics made with gold and silver thread)," from Provenanced Leaden Cloth Seals by Geoffrey Egan, Sub-Department of Medieval Archaeology, University College, University of London, submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 1987. Below is his definition of the cloth, "Rash: a very smooth cloth, especially a half-worsted, used for cloaks etc."
Another good example of this seal can be see at Euro-Plombs.