THE HAMILTON AND ARRAN DESK SEAL
A LATE 19TH CENTURY AGATE DESK SEAL
£454
Auction: 17 October 2023 from 10:00 BST
Description
The tapered facetted agate handle with engraved armorial, crest and motto 'THROUGH' (above) and 'SOLA NOBILITAS VIRTUS' (below) to pommel and matching armorial to matrix
Dimensions
Length: 5.3cm, matrices: 2.1cm x 1.8cm and 1.8cm x 1.5cm
Footnote
Heraldry:
This seal has the arms of Hamilton quartering Arran, impaling the same arms, with the motto Through above the crest of Hamiton this is - erroneously - shown atop a marquess's coronet, where it should be shown atop a ducal coronet. Beneath the arms the motto Sola Nobilitas Virtus, also borne by the marquesses (and later Dukes) of Abercorn. The central escutcheon is indistinctly represented as three flowers or trees on a mound, but may be intended for three fleurs-de-lis, claimed by the Dukes of Abercorn as heirs to the French dukedom of Chatellerautt (officially served in 1862 but sometimes used earlier). The only recorded Hamilton of this family, who married a cousin was James, 9th Earl, created Marquess of Abercorn in 1790, who married secondly in 1792 (dissolved 1799) his cousin Cecil Hamilton, although stylistically the shield is an unusual shape for this date and may be after an earlier style.