Historic Americana
Pre 1817 State of Maryland Great Seal Official Wax Mold
Pre-1817, Mated Pair of Tin Molds For Producing the official Great Seal of the State of Maryland, Used, Choice Very Fine.
Pre-1817 Mated Pair of Tin Molds used to cast in Wax the official Great Seal of the State of Maryland. The obverse of the Great Seal of Maryland shows Lord Baltimore as a knight in full armor mounted on a charger. The Latin inscription translates as "Cecilius, Absolute Lord of Maryland and Avalon, Baron of Baltimore. This Reverse State Seal side design is similar to that used for the engraving upon the Maryland State House entrance door at Annapolis. That design is markedly different than other, later designs.

This Wax Mold used to produce the official documents issued in the name of the State and in almost all cases, they were subsequently signed by the Governor of Maryland. These well-used 4.5” square tin molds still show incredible detail, and remain in excellent condition. The official wax seals created by these molds were typically suspended by a cloth or silk ribbon tape from the attached document in order to legitimize its existence, as copies of these molds were virtually impossible to make. Said by consignor to have provenance to a private Massachusetts collection. Extremely Rare and remarkable that this Wax Seal Mold is available to acquire. The first of these early official Seal of the State of Maryland molds we have ever seen and offered.
The Great Seal of the State of Maryland is the official government emblem of the U.S. State of Maryland. Maryland is distinguished by being one of the few states in the United States (and in the world) to have a dual-sided official seal. In modern times, only the reverse side of the Great Seal of Maryland is the side used by the Governor and the Secretary of State to authenticate Acts of the General Assembly and for other official purposes.

Its official service is to authenticate acts by the Maryland General Assembly, but it is also used for display purposes at most state buildings. Although the state seal has been changed in design several times throughout history, the current model represents the reverse side of the original seal. The seal consists of two sides, a reverse and an obverse. In official contexts, only the reverse side is used.

The first Great Seal was brought over during the early days of the Maryland colony, but was stolen by Richard Ingle during his rebellion of 1645. Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Lord Baltimore, sent a similar seal from England in 1648 for the use of the Maryland Chancellor. Except for the period of crown rule (1692-1715), that Great Seal remained in use until the end of the 18th century, the Maryland Council having authorized continued use of the provincial seal on March 31, 1777 (Constitution of 1776, sec. 36).

The obverse of the Great Seal of Maryland shows Lord Baltimore as a knight in full armor mounted on a charger. The Latin inscription translates as "Cecilius, Absolute Lord of Maryland and Avalon, Baron of Baltimore."

A new seal with republican imagery was adopted by the Governor and Council on February 5, 1794. Designed by Charles Willson Peale, the Maryland Seal of 1794 remained in use until 1817. In that year, the General Assembly adopted a “single-sided” Great Seal bearing an Eagle holding a shield. Another seal authorized in 1854 depicted an Eagle and a version of the Calvert arms (Chapter 81, Acts of 1854).