A signaculum is a general Latin term for a seal or sign produced by a stamp or

signet ring A seal is a device for making an impression in Sealing wax, wax, clay, paper, or some other medium, including an Paper embossing, embossment on paper, and is also the impression thus made. The original purpose was to authenticate a document, or ...

, used in modern scholarship in particular reference to

Roman lead pipe inscription A Roman lead pipe inscription is a Latin inscription on a Ancient Rome, Roman water pipe made of lead which provides brief information on its manufacturer and owner, often the reigning List of Roman Emperors, emperor himself as the supreme autho ...

s, brick stamps, bread stamps, and the

lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...

dog tag Dog tag is an informal but common term for a specific type of identification tag worn by military personnel. The tags' primary use is for the identification of casualties; they have information about the individual written on them, including ...

" of

Roman soldiers This is a list of Roman army units and bureaucrats. *'' Accensus'' – Light infantry men in the armies of the early Roman Republic, made up of the poorest men of the army. *''Actuarius'' – A soldier charged with distributing pay and provisions ...

Military "dog tag"

The signaculum of the Roman soldier was carried in a leather pouch suspended around the neck. The tag is thought to have had personal information for the purpose identifying the dead, in the same way a modern dog tag does, with a

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

or stamp to authenticate it. Although the origins of exactly when or why the Roman army decided to use the signaculum for their soldiers are not clear, there are, regardless, references to its use in some historical documents, which indicate its composition (lead), as well as the fact that it is given after it is determined a man is fit to serve the legion. In a document from 295,

Maximilian of Tebessa Maximilian of Tebessa (Theveste), also known as Maximilian of Numidia, (; AD 274–295) was a Christian saint and martyr, whose feast day is observed on 12 March. Born in AD 274, the son of Fabius Victor, an official connected to the Roman army, ...

, an early Christian martyr, is being recruited as an officer in the Roman army against his wishes: There is some evidence that by the time of the late Roman army, it became common practice to instead give soldiers who were found fit for service in the legion an indelible Soldier's Mark, possibly to discourage desertion by making any former or deserting soldiers clearly discernible. In '' De Re Militari'' (AD 390), one of the Roman military writer Vegetius Renatus states that after the initial selection process, a recruit is then placed through a four-month testing period to ensure his physical capability.

Slave collars

A neck ring with a tag served a similar purpose in identifying a

fugitive slave In the United States, fugitive slaves or runaway slaves were terms used in the 18th and 19th centuries to describe people who fled slavery. The term also refers to the federal Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850. Such people are also called fre ...

. The ring was

rivet A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed, a rivet consists of a smooth cylinder (geometry), cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite the head is called the ''tail''. On installation, the deformed e ...

ed so that it couldn't readily be removed. The tag contained information such as the owner's name, status, and occupation, and the "address" to which the slave should be returned.

Product branding

Items made from

terra cotta Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based Vitrification#Ceramics, non-vitreous ceramicOED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used ...

, and other impressionable materials were often stamped with a maker's mark during manufacture.

Stamps

It is possible that signacula that were carried by domestic workers were used as stamps to record usage of tools, and debts from one to another.

References

{{Reflist Military of ancient Rome