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1580 R. Hayward & G. Barne Commission 20 May in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (1589) ii. 456 Shewe them one of the Queenes Maiesties letters, which she sendeth with you..whereunto her Maiestie hath subscribed, and caused her signet seale to be set.

1625 in W. Prynne Hidden Workes Darkenes (1645) 80 A Sub-committee was appointed by the Committee of religion to examine this Letter, with the Originall at the Signet-Office.

1693 N. Tate tr. P. Coste Life Lewis Bourbon iv. 15 They finally..resolv'd that the Duke de la Rochefoucault..should go to Havre, with a Signet Letter, Sign'd by the Queen and Monsieur.

a1722 J. Lauder Decisions (1759) I. 5 The Lords declined to meddle, pretending they would not annul the King's signet letters.

1763 H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Painting III. ii. 87 Lewis Payne engraved two signet seals for Charles II.

1852 Jrnl. Royal Asiatic Soc. 13 419 Our Arab owner is merely to be supposed to have adopted for his signet-device a picture pleasing to his fancy.

1871 P. Smith Anc. Hist. East x. §9. 205 The delicately striped and fringed dresses shewn on the most ancient signet-cylinders.

1906 New Eng. Mag. Nov. 325/1 The British Museum contains a serpent Etruscan ring formed of two lions whose bodies make up the shank, the heads and fore paws supporting a filigree bezel, which holds the signet stone.

1961 D. M. Barton tr. A. Weise Old Test. 13 A significant example may be seen in the signet-cylinder of Atanachili from the beginning of the second millennium.

2002 Pasadena Star-News (Calif.) (Nexis) 19 Dec. Among the items on display..are..Privy Council and Signet letters concerning Mary, Queen of Scots.