The reason for this card was not only its sound and spell alike-ness to the seal who swims in the sea, but also it shows that two sea horses support the shield. And animals, whether they fly, swim, or walk, are often an un-noticed part of heraldry cards. In fact if you look really closely, you will spot a lion atop the tower.
The two golden maned "seahorses", however, are slightly altered, as they are mythical creations, a blend of horses heads, webbed front feet, and a fishy, or some say mermaid`s, tail to finish with. Actually a seahorse does have a head which is similar to a horse, but not a mane, instead it has spikes. There are no arms. And instead of a webbed tail it is more akin to that of a monkey, both in looks, and in the fact that it can be used for gripping and balancing, and anchoring itself fast to where it wants to rest.
You will find the mythical version on the emblem of Newcastle United Football Club too.
Though this set may sound boring, and be dismissed as just a collection of wax impressions, on ribbons of differing hue, it is really fascinating - and, for those who are collecting cards of their area, should be highly prized, for it not only gives the seal of their foundation, but tells the tale of how they came to be.
Most of the seals shown are of cities, (Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Carlisle, Cork, Dublin, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle Upon Tyne, and Nottingham) - but there are also Boroughs (Bolton, Derby, Leicester, Portsmouth, Newport) and even the Corporate Seal of Chester, dating from the 17th Century.
There are several other seals pictured which are even older than that as well - including ours, which dates from before 1390, though it tells us that the motto was added later, to mark "the gallant defence of the city against the Scots, 1644"
This set first appears in our original World Tobacco Issues Index as simply :
SEALS. Sm. Nd. (25) ... M122-18
This text is identical in our updated version, apart from a new card code, of M757-340.