{"product_id":"mary-queen-of-scots-first-great-seal-of-33549","title":"Mary, Queen of Scots, First Great Seal of Scotland - c.1542 - Historical Wax Seal Stamp","description":"\u003cp\u003eMary, Queen of Scots First Great Seal, Scottish Royal Arms - c.1542 - Historical Wax Seal Stamp\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWax seal stamp based on the heraldic face of the First Great Seal of Mary, Queen of Scots, featuring the Royal Arms of Scotland supported by two unicorns.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMary became Queen of Scots in December 1542 when she was only six days old, following the death of her father, James V. Her long minority was governed through regents while she was eventually sent to France, where she was raised at the French court before marrying Francis, Dauphin of France, in 1558.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the centre of this seal is the ancient Royal Arms of Scotland: a lion rampant enclosed within the distinctive double tressure flory-counter-flory. This emblem had represented the Scottish monarchy for centuries and remained the principal royal arms throughout Mary's reign.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe shield is supported by two unicorns, an especially important feature in the development of Scottish royal heraldry. Unicorn imagery had appeared in Scotland before Mary's reign, including on the coinage and heraldry of earlier Stewart monarchs, but Mary was the first Scottish sovereign to use two unicorns as supporters on the Great Seal. Her Privy Seal, by contrast, continued to employ lions as supporters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe unicorn would subsequently become one of the defining heraldic animals of Scotland. Traditionally represented crowned and chained, it came to embody the authority and identity of the Scottish Crown and remains part of the Royal Arms used in Scotland today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe First Great Seal also incorporated distinctive crowned thistles behind the supporters, providing another explicitly Scottish element to the composition. A surviving example of the armorial counter-seal is recorded from 1550.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe seal therefore represents an important moment in Scottish heraldic history, combining the medieval lion of Scotland with the paired unicorn supporters that became permanently associated with the Scottish monarchy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeal Legend:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMARIA DEI GRATIA REGINA SCOTORUM\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExpanded Latin:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaria Dei Gratia Regina Scotorum\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTranslation:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Mary, by the grace of God, Queen of Scots.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSurviving material from Mary's early reign confirms that her 1542 seal asserted her title as Queen of Scotland, while contemporary royal documents use the same Latin royal style. The exact punctuation and abbreviation of the legend can vary between surviving impressions and catalogue transcriptions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDesign: First Great Seal of Mary, Queen of Scots\u003cbr\u003e\nMonarch: Mary Stewart \/ Mary, Queen of Scots\u003cbr\u003e\nDynasty: House of Stewart\u003cbr\u003e\nDate: c.1550\u003cbr\u003e\nReign: 1542–1567\u003cbr\u003e\nSymbol: Lion Rampant of Scotland with unicorn supporters\u003cbr\u003e\nPeriod: 16th-century Scotland\u003cbr\u003e\nStamp Size: 50 mm\u003cbr\u003e\nMaterial: Solid brass\u003cbr\u003e\nType: Wax seal stamp \/ sealing stamp\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach stamp is made of solid brass, supplied with a handle, and presented in a velvet pouch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuitable for letters, envelopes, historical collections, Scottish history displays, heraldry collections, genealogy projects, traditional stationery and decorative sealing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“En ma fin est mon commencement.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“In my end is my beginning.” — Mary, Queen of Scots\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"NobleSeals","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58073711640916,"sku":"HIS-SCO-1542-MARY-STUART-R-50MM","price":50.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0927\/6352\/1364\/files\/il_fullxfull.8632008782_rchk_6e9c0e6a-d20b-4f99-8890-2ea49d5aca04.jpg?v=1793556562","url":"https:\/\/nobleseals.co.uk\/es\/products\/mary-queen-of-scots-first-great-seal-of-33549","provider":"NobleSeals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}