A hardstone and gold desk seal, English, mid 19th century,

A hardstone and gold desk seal, English, mid 19th century, A hardstone and gold desk seal, English, mid 19th century, the handle of mottled russet agate, of faceted tapering form with a round fungus cap. A plumed gold collar and gadrooned cushion mount with scroll border, with a cushion shaped chalcedony matrix. The matrix seal engraved with a crest and coat of arms, the crest a boar's head and neck couped. Tested as approximately 15ct gold. 70 x 24mm, 42.83g Provenance: from the Matrix Collection of Historic Hand Seals. Condition Report: The dexter coat Gules a chevron between three boar's heads couped is recorded for several families, none of whom specifically use the crest of a boar's head and neck couped; these include Bethell of London (no crest recorded, but other branches use a boar's head out of a coronet), Davis of co. Salop (different crest, but branches also use boar's head erased), Thirlway of Cumberland and Tresher (crests not recorded for either), and White or Whyte (boar's head out of a mural coronet). Also recorded, the boars' heads in different tinctures, are Bradley (usual crest a boar passant) and Burton (no crest). The impalement is equally uncertain, the 1st and 4th quarters being recorded (with fleur-de-lys in various tinctures) for Millecent of Cambridge, Yawkins and Brown of Scotland, and several branches of Fanshaw, and the 2nd and 3rd quarters (the tinctures reversed) for Ridor, Rowdon or Roydon. If the tinctures of the 1st and 4th quarters were also reversed in error, this is recorded for Hart of co. York, and a note in Papworth's Ordinary mentions that Davis of co. Salop quarters Hart (although a blazon is not given and there are many other branches of this family with different armorials). The Hart-Davis family is recorded in Burke's Landed Gentry of 1952, but their arms are not given.