Anyone Collect Papal Lead Bulls?

@livingwater. I read a lot about them online, but they seem to be fairly off the radar. I went to a more specialized shop today and I'll post a few pictures later tonight. There do not seem to be many records on them and they are fairly poorly made given the significance, ie the Pope's signature.

The British Museum has some info about them...

https://finds.org.uk/counties/finds...apal-bullae/

Seals for documents have been used since ancient times. The Babylonians and Assyrians used stone cylinder seals with designs and pressed them on soft clay cuneiform tablets. I have a late Roman lead seal of unknown person, bought from an auction years ago. Whoever it was must have been upper class, perhaps a politician or officer in the military. I doubt the poor had any reason to seal a document or maybe seal a box.

The Papacy continued this practice with their lead bullae. Hot wax with an impression was/is also used. I haven't done much reading about seals, but they are interesting. Some people collect bullae, old seals, old weights and scales, tokens, etc. but they are not as popular as coins. I have a few lead Scotland communion tokens from 1600s to 1800s which were used by churches to affirm you were a member before you could partake in the sacrament.

Thanks @livingwater and Coinfrog.

I have one other bulla I posted some time ago, but I have still yet to place it; also a few religious and communion type tokens. I think these papal bullae are interesting in that they function as the Pope's signature - so it can be fairly tightly tied to a time and person - on fairly important missives from the Vatican. They are all priced fairly high, so I will probably pass on them, but nonetheless interesting to research.