"May Eye X-speck'd You" Seal Fob
Georgian Regency era miniature seal fob with an amber-orange glass "Tassie" intaglio seal featuring a rebus puzzle: the word MAY followed by a picture of an eye and the letter X (covered in little speckles) followed by the word YOU. The meaning? "May I expect you?" [... at the ball, dance, tea-party, etc.] The seal is reverse-carved to make an imprint in wax, and the fob itself is elegantly proportioned and detailed, crafted in gilt metal.
These miniature seal fobs came to us as a twenty piece collection, likely owned by a scribe. The Georgian Regency era, officially 1811-1820, arguably saw the pinnacle of letter writing. The educated upper classes would have been able to write their own letters, and indeed seal them closed with their own personal intaglio (perhaps a family crest or monogram, or, if titled, their own heraldic shield), but anyone else who wanted to correspond via letter was unlikely to have learned to read and write, so would have employed the services of their local scribe. For a small fee, the scribe would write down a dictated letter, then offer the sender a choice of seals by which to secure the envelope. The seals would, then, have to convey a broad selection of messages - some serious, some jovial, some thoroughly tongue in cheek - and not being from the upper classes themselves, the scribe certainly wouldn't have had the financial means to purchase a set of solid gold seal fobs... gold cased or gilt would certainly have done the job.
Era: Georgian, circa 1820
Size: 25.2mm (including bail) by 12.5mm
Materials: Glass Tassie Seal
Marks: None, tested as gilt metal
Condition: Good antique condition, light wear consistent with age including some nibbles to the edge of the seal
Full appraisal document provided with each item.
This includes a valuation for insurance purposes, item specifics, date, and origins (where applicable).
Gemstones are tested by an accredited gemmologist (Cert GA, Gemmological Association of Great Britain).
Shipping
UPS Express shipping is free of charge on international orders over £300 and it's carbon offset
Tracked and insured with signature on delivery
RM Special Delivery (UK domestic)
US Shipments
US Customs charges a 10% "Reciprocal Tariff" on all parcels coming in from the UK.
We will pay this charge on your behalf and you will see it collected as a line item at checkout.
[Last updated: September 15th, 2025]
Resizing
Ring sizing is available on most rings
£55 flat fee
Resizing takes 7-14 days
Leave a note at checkout with your desired size
Note: sizing may remove some of the patina (although we take every care to reduce this where possible)
Layaway
25% deposit taken to secure the item. The remaining balance will be settled in 90 days. You can pay installments weekly, monthly, or the full balance at the end - whatever works.
Condition
We offer detailed and accurate condition reports on each listing. These pieces are antique, vintage, or pre-loved and often over 100 years old so they're going to have lived a life. A healthy patina and the odd scuff or scrape is quite normal... it's part of their charm! Everything we present has been checked over by our jeweller and should be good for wear for many years to come (unless otherwise stated) but please remember to treat them with appropriate care and consideration for their age.
Buying a Gift?
Leave a note at checkout and we'll include a handwritten note to the recipient. Just tell us what you'd like to say :)
More Questions?
Get in touch... There's a live chat at the bottom right of the page.
info@lostowl.com