The Green Collection
Wax seals with handles made of various green stones, including malachite, jade, and jasper
Ref 73 - ♥♥♥♥♥
This seal belonged to Maxence Louis Laurent Le Fèbvre (1825–1912), Comte Le Fèbvre, and his wife Claude Marguerite Vincent de Vaugelas (1839–1930), who married in 1862. Maxence belonged to a prosperous and distinguished French family. His father, Laurent Léon Le Fèbvre (1797–1877), was Comte Le Fèbvre and held important financial offices, serving as receveur général des finances in several French departments. Maxence himself was associated with La Ronde at Yzeure, near Moulins. Maxence and Marguerite had several children, through whom the family became allied with other notable French families. The Vincent de Vaugelas family belonged to the French nobility and had roots in the Lyonnais. Marguerite's arms, with their particularly distinctive combination of grapes, sun, chevron and tower, leave little doubt as to the identity of the second shield.
Materials of Distinction: The Green Stones Behind Noble Wax Seal Stamps.
Among the most prized materials used in the crafting of wax seal stamp handles were green semi-precious stones such as jade, malachite, and serpentine, each selected not only for their natural beauty but also for their symbolic and cultural resonance. Jade, especially nephrite, was the most coveted of these, celebrated for its smooth texture, luminous depth, and associations with nobility, purity, and immortality. It was primarily sourced from China, Central Asia, and parts of Eastern Europe, and was often traded at great cost. Malachite, with its rich, banded green striations, was extracted from the Ural Mountains of Russia and became particularly popular in the 18th century when Russian artisans mastered the technique of turning and polishing it into ornamental objects. Serpentine, a darker and more understated stone, was mined in regions like Italy, Germany, and the British Isles, and lent itself well to the more austere tastes of early neoclassicism.
These green stone handles signaled refinement and wealth, especially when paired with gilt bronze or silver-gilt mounts. Their value varied depending on the quality of the stone and craftsmanship, but in general, such handles were significantly more expensive than those made of wood, ivory, or even silver. They were favored by aristocrats, diplomats, and courtly collectors who regarded them not merely as tools of correspondence but as objets d’art. In the world of wax seals, a green stone handle was both a mark of status and a subtle declaration of aesthetic taste.
Ref 74 - ♥♥♥♥♥
This wax sealing stamp is not a noble family's wax seal stamp but an episcopal stamp from the 19th century. It is made of green bloodstone with a silver base. Ecclesiastical heraldry follows specific conventions regarding the use of arms associated with the church’s administrative and collegiate bodies, as well as the depiction of clerical arms. Abbeys, priories, and dioceses each have their own heraldic symbols.
Ref 75 - ♥♥♥♥♥
This seal stamp shows the alliance arms of Marquis Joseph de Lévézou de Vézins and Gabrielle Dor de Lastours. The de Lévézou de Vézins family descends from the barons of Lévézou, a powerful feudal house. They held the title of marquis, and several branches existed over time. Their influence extended across several regions of France, particularly through strategic marriages. Among the notable members of the family are Jean-Jacques de Lévézou de Vézins (1738–1821), Marquis de Vézins, who was an officer who survived the French Revolution and later participated in royalist circles during the Bourbon Restoration. Renaud de Vezins was both a painter and a politician, who died in an accident in his Bugatti. The Dor de Lastours family appears in the 16th century under the name Dor. It is at the beginning of the 18th century that the family adopted the name Dor de Lastours, following the acquisition of the castle of Lastours.
Charles de Levezou de Vésins
Family de Lévézou de Vézins
Marie-Joseph Dor de Lastours
Ref 76 - ♥♥♥♥♥
This is a wonderful Fabergé seal stamp, carved from Siberian nephrite jade and topped with a silver elephant set with ruby eyes, an object whose quality immediately suggests a wealthy owner. The seal is engraved with arms attributed to the Gradl family and corresponds to those published in J. Siebmacher’s grosses und allgemeines Wappenbuch, volume Zweitausend bürgerliche Wappen (1873), where the Gradl arms appear among armigerous bourgeois families. The shield is quartered, featuring in two quarters birds standing on a mount, a distinctive motif visible both in the printed armorial and on the seal matrix. The remaining quarters, divided per pale, bear charges that appear to represent fruit, possibly pears, though their exact identification remains uncertain. The crest, resembling a vertically placed shoe, is particularly striking and may allude to an occupational origin. The presence of these arms in Siebmacher confirms the Gradl as a prosperous non-noble family whose social standing justified the commission of a Fabergé seal.
Ref 77 - ♥♥♥♥♥
An exception in my collection. I typically focus on antique European wax seal stamps engraved with noble family coats of arms. This one, however, features a monogram, which is something I don’t usually look for. But I was drawn to its antique "column" design, which I found interesting, so it earned a place in my "Green Collection."
Ref 78 - ♥♥♥♥♥
This stamp that dates back to around 1850 belonged to Lord William Vane, the 3rd Duke of Cleveland who also succeeded to the 5th Earl of Durham. The Vane family had long-standing noble roots in County Durham and became Dukes of Cleveland in the 19th century. The ducal title of Cleveland had originally been created in the 17th century for Barbara Villiers, a mistress of Willam III, and was later revived for the Vane family in the 19th century. The seal is made of faceted bloodstone with a gold base. The coat of arms is finely carved in red stone. The engraving shows the alliance coat of arms of William Vane and his wife Lady Grace Lowther, who he married in 1815. Lady Grace was the youngest of the 6 children of William Lowther, the 1st Earl of Lonsdale. Few stamps in this collection feature the coronet of a British Duke, making this one a valuable addition. A British duke's coronet features "strawberry leaves," similar to French heraldry. However, in heraldic representation, it also includes a dark red cap, which is purple in real life, topped with a gold tassel. This cap is a distinct element not found in French heraldry. (Ai)
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William Vane, 1st Duke of Cleveland (1766-1842), father of Lord William
Seal stamp engraved with the alliance coat of arms of
William Vane and Lady Grace Lowther
William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale (1757-1844), father of Lady Grace
Ref 79 - ♥♥♥♥♥
While this seal engraved with the arms of the Haldimand family was bought in the UK, it is also linked to Switzerland. The Haldimand family migrated from Germany to Switzerland in the 16th century, establishing prominent burgher roots in Gessenay (Saanen) and Yverdon. As influential Swiss citizens, they used a traditional burgher coat of arms (anciennes armes), featuring a smiling sun beneath two silver stars on a blue shield. Seeking career advancement, Frederick Haldimand left Switzerland for foreign military service. He joined the British Army in 1756 and eventually rose to become the Governor of Québec. Following his distinguished service, King George III knighted him into the Order of the Bath. This high honor prompted a complete heraldic shift in 1786. His original Swiss arms were replaced with a prestigious new British design. In short, the family evolved from German migrants to Swiss burghers with ancient arms, before achieving British knighthood and a brand-new heraldic legacy.
Ref 80 - ♥♥♥♥♥
This personal seal stamp belonged to my great-grandmother, Baroness Marthe de Mévius. A daughter of Baron Eugène de Mevius, she married my great grandfather, Count Étienne van der Straten Ponthoz. Although this seal is an exception within the collection, as it is not engraved with a coat of arms, it remains a highly precious to me.
Ref 81 - ♥♥♥♥♥
This sealing stamp with a beautiful green stone handle was acquired from Germany. The elaborate and nicely decorated silver matrix bears the arms of the von Odelga family, a lesser-known noble house of the Austrian German world. The family does not appear among the great landed dynasties associated with large castles or principalities but rather belongs to the educated and administrative nobility that emerged and consolidated its status in the early modern and nineteenth centuries. Members of the family are documented in Austrian noble and scholarly circles. In particular, Karl von Odelga is known as a Ritter and as a contributor to important works on the nobility of Lower Austria, continuing the publication of Wißgrill’s major biographical compendium of noble families. This role suggests a background rooted in state service, administration, and learned pursuits rather than purely military or territorial power. The presence of a baronial coronet and elaborate supporters on the arms reflects recognized noble rank and heraldic self-representation.
Ref 82 - ♥♥♥♥♥
This is the seal stamp of Léon Artaud de La Ferrière and Marguerite Junot d'Abrantès. The Artaud de La Ferrière family is a subsisting French noble family originally from Lyon, ennobled through civic service in the late 17th century. The family was first ennobled when André Artaud, a merchant and échevin (municipal magistrate) of Lyon in 1677, acquired noble status through his municipal office, a recognised path to nobility in Lyon at that time. The Junot d’Abrantès family became prominent in Napoleonic France through Jean-Andoche Junot (1771–1813), a soldier in the revolutionary armies who rose to become a close aide-de-camp to Napoleon Bonaparte and was created Duke of Abrantès by the Emperor. He was married to Laure Junot, Duchess of Abrantès. The Junot d’Abrantès arms are richly complex, reflecting the family’s rise and Napoleon’s imperial framework.
Hector Arthaud de La Ferrière
Laure Junot, Duchess of Abrantès
Jean-Andoche Junot d'Abrantès
Ref 325 - ♥♥♥♥♥
This fine blood jasper heraldic seal bears the arms of the von Geldern-Egmond zu Arcen family, a branch of the ancient and influential House of Egmond, one of the great noble dynasties of the medieval Low Countries. The compound name reflects both dynastic and territorial origins: Egmond refers to the historic Dutch noble house of Holland, Geldern to the Duchy of Guelders, and Arcen to the lordship and castle near the Meuse, today in Limburg. The branch emerged from the union of the House of Egmond with the ducal inheritance of Guelders. During the Middle Ages, the Egmond family rose through military service, strategic marriages, and territorial acquisitions, eventually ranking among the highest nobility of the Burgundian Netherlands. Their heraldry reflects these dynastic connections. The original Egmond arms, red chevrons on gold, were later combined with the lions of Guelders and Zutphen after the family inherited the Duchy of Guelders through Arnold of Egmond. These composite arms symbolized dynastic succession and territorial authority, notably borne by Charles of Egmond, Duke of Guelders (1467 - 1538), one of the last independent rulers resisting Burgundian and Habsburg domination. The Geldern-Egmond zu Arcen line belonged to the high territorial nobility connected to the former Duchy of Guelders. Over time, members entered imperial and Austrian service, notably Gustav Geldern-Egmond Graf zu Arcen (1837 - 1915), Austrian general and Privy Councillor.
Arms of the Geldern-Egmond zu Arcen branch
Count Gustav Geldern-Egmond zu Arcen
Arnold of Egmond, heir to the Duchy of Guelders
Ref 335 - ♥♥♥♥♥
Seals engraved with quartered arms are among the most interesting ones. This one belonged to a descendant of the marriage between Frances Heywood and Thomas Orby Hunter. The attribution rests on the analysis of the heraldry engraved on it. At the center appears an escutcheon bearing the arms of Heywood, while the surrounding quartered shield displays the arms of Hunter, Orby, Howard, and Gerard. This combination is too specific to be accidental. The connection begins with Frances “Fanny” Heywood, daughter of James Modyford Heywood, who married Thomas Orby Hunter in 1796. Through this marriage, the Heywood family became united with the Hunter family. Thomas’s name already reflected an earlier alliance: the Hunters had inherited the Orby name and arms through the marriage of Elizabeth Orby to Robert Hunter. The presence of the Orby arms in the second quarter is therefore logical. The Howard quarter is also explained by Thomas Orby Hunter’s ancestry, since his mother was Elizabeth Howard. The remaining Gerard quarter appears to come through the Orby line: Charlotte Gerard, daughter of Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield, married into the Orby family, bringing the Gerard arms into the inherited quarterings. The arrangement therefore reflects a coherent pedigree: Gerard entered the Orby line; Orby passed into the Hunter family; Howard entered through Thomas Orby Hunter’s mother; and Heywood became central through the marriage with Frances Heywood. The small Heywood escutcheon placed over the other arms suggests that the owner wished to emphasize the Heywood inheritance in particular.
James Modyford Heywood
Arms of Heywood, represented on the escutcheon
Fanny Heywood, Mrs Thomas Orby Hunter
Each of the families represented on this seal belonged to the upper ranks of the English landed gentry and nobility, illustrating the close network of alliances that characterized Britain's traditional ruling class. The Heywood family, whose arms occupy the central escutcheon, rose to prominence as wealthy Lancashire landowners. By the eighteenth century they possessed extensive estates, served as Members of Parliament, High Sheriffs, and magistrates, and became influential figures in the commercial and political life of northern England. Through marriage, they became connected with several long-established noble and gentry families. The Hunter family ranked among the principal landed families of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Through inheritance they acquired the distinguished Orby estates, giving rise to the compound name Orby Hunter. The Orby family itself was an ancient Lincolnshire house whose members served the Crown for centuries and included baronets, sheriffs, and Members of Parliament. The Howard family belonged to one of England's oldest and most respected aristocratic lineages. Various branches of the family produced military officers, statesmen, and landowners, while the senior line became the powerful Dukes of Norfolk, hereditary Earls Marshal of England. The Gerard family was likewise among the historic noble houses of England. Its senior branch held the titles of Baron Gerard of Brandon, Viscount Brandon, and Earl of Macclesfield, and produced distinguished soldiers, courtiers, and royal officials. Together, these five families represent centuries of hereditary landownership, public service, and carefully cultivated marriage alliances that helped shape the English aristocracy and landed gentry.
Ref 340 - ♥♥♥♥♥
This seal commemorates the marriage of Louis-Alphonse-Octave Roger de Sivry (1848 - 1923) and Louise-Marie-Suzanne de Secondat de Montesquieu (1864–1914), celebrated in Paris in 1886. The Roger de Sivry family originated in Geneva and entered the French nobility under the First Empire, when two brothers were created Barons of the Empire by Napoleon. Through marriage with the heiress Louise de Sivry, the Roger family adopted the name Roger de Sivry, later becoming established at the Château de Villeneuve in Brittany. Suzanne belonged to the much older de Secondat de Montesquieu family, a distinguished house of the noblesse de robe of Guyenne. Its most celebrated member was Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (1689 - 1755), philosopher, magistrate, and author of The Spirit of the Laws, whose theory of the separation of powers profoundly influenced modern constitutional government. The seal thus records the union of a Napoleonic baronial family with one of France's most renowned judicial and intellectual lineages.
Gerry's Collection of Antique Seal Stamps.