Sphragistics or sigillograhy (from latin sigillum - seal) studies seals, signets, cylinders as the source of historical information reminiscent of the favors and interests of our predecessors.

Stamps, carved into solid materials (tough stones, metals, ivory), matrixes, and imprints (on gold, silver, lead, tin, sealing wax, paper etc.) are called seals.

The stamp attached to a document is a sign, proving that the document comes from a person or an organization, owning the seal. Studying stamps and seals as signs of identity and validation of documents, has practical significance for science of history. The memorials of sphragistics may give important information about certain sides of state institutions activities, the designs of the seals reflect the lives of the people belonging to different periods of history, that`s why they are a valuable material for studying certain epoch. The stamps help to identify the author of a document. Carved with the great skill by the talented masters they often have art value.

As any other special branch of historical science, sphragistics was being developed in the system of practical knowledge, and step by step has turned into a branch of science with its methods and research techniques.

As for the way of attaching, seals can be hanging and applied.

In Russia mostly the first type was in use until the XV century. At the bottom of the document written on the paper or parchment a small hole was made through which silk or linen cord was passed, and its end were fixed with a seal.

The seal of the X century, found by archeologists in Novgorod, was attached to the document differently. The stamp was imprinted on a irregularly cut bar of lead and hung on a wide leather strap.

At the end of XIV applied seal appeared. Earlier applied stamps imprinted by seal-ring were in use.

By the material, used for imprinting, the stamps can be metal, wax, wax-mastic, sealing wax. Gold, silver and, the most often, lead were used for this purpose. The popularity of lead can be explained both by its softness and by its cheapness.

For seals manufacture was used wax: pure white, yellow, or mixed with paint - black, red or dark brown. As wax isn`t firm material, to preserve the seal from destruction special wax mastic was made: wax was mixed with paint, chalk or flour, pitch and grease. This kind of seals was called wax-mastic. They were preserved better than just wax ones. Mostly red paint was used as a component.

Approximately at the end of XVII sealing-wax stamps appeared, which widely spread in the XVIII c. On some documents of XVIII century you may see and so called smoked stamps. The material for the imprints was soot. Metal or stone matrix was smoked on the fire and than was applied to paper. The background of the stamp appeared to be black, and the design or letters - white. In the XIX-XX centuries with the appearance of rubber seals special liquid mastic as the material for imprints came into use.