{"product_id":"emanuel-wynne-flag-skull-crossbones-and-08887","title":"Emanuel Wynne Flag, Skull Crossbones and Hourglass - 1700 - Pirate Wax Seal Stamp","description":"\u003cp\u003eEmanuel Wynne Flag, Skull Crossbones and Hourglass - 1700 - Historical Wax Seal Stamp\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWax seal stamp based on the flag of Emanuel Wynne, a French pirate active around the turn of the 18th century and associated with one of the earliest securely recorded forms of the Jolly Roger.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVery little is known about Wynne himself, but one encounter in 1700 secured his place in maritime history. On 18 July that year, Captain John Cranby of HMS Poole reported encountering Wynne’s vessel near the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of West Africa.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCranby pursued Wynne towards Brava Island, where the pirate vessel sheltered in a cove. Although assistance was sought from Portuguese forces ashore, Wynne was ultimately able to escape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore importantly, Cranby left an eyewitness description of the flag displayed by Wynne’s ship. He described a black ensign bearing crossed bones, a skull and an hourglass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis 1700 Admiralty report is widely regarded as the earliest known eyewitness account of the familiar skull-and-crossbones form of pirate flag being flown aboard a vessel. Earlier pirates certainly used black, red and other flags, and skull imagery existed before Wynne, but his flag provides one of the earliest securely documented combinations that closely resembles what would later become known as the Jolly Roger.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hourglass is an especially distinctive element. It belonged to a wider tradition of early modern memento mori imagery, where hourglasses represented the passing of time. Combined with the skull and crossed bones, it created a simple and immediately recognisable emblem.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike many famous pirate flags whose association with particular captains developed much later, the essential features of Wynne’s flag come directly from a contemporary eyewitness report. This makes the design particularly interesting as an historically grounded reconstruction of an early pirate flag.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDesign: Skull, crossed bones and hourglass\u003cbr\u003e\nPerson: Emanuel Wynne \/ Emmanuel Wynne\u003cbr\u003e\nDate: 1700\u003cbr\u003e\nPeriod: Early Golden Age of Piracy\u003cbr\u003e\nLocation Recorded: Cape Verde Islands\u003cbr\u003e\nHistorical Source: Captain John Cranby, HMS Poole\u003cbr\u003e\nSource Basis: Contemporary eyewitness description\u003cbr\u003e\nStamp Size: 30 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, maritime collections, historical displays, nautical-themed stationery, pirate collections and decorative sealing.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"NobleSeals","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58073749389652,"sku":"HIS-PIR-1700-WYNNE-O-30MM","price":30.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0927\/6352\/1364\/files\/il_fullxfull.8680578373_21dm_acb794aa-7d84-4f55-9429-1b8789891faf.jpg?v=1793556748","url":"https:\/\/nobleseals.co.uk\/products\/emanuel-wynne-flag-skull-crossbones-and-08887","provider":"NobleSeals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}