Stamp piston

The griffin is a mythical animal most often depicted with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. In the Middle Ages it was used in European heraldry. It was often chosen as a part of coats of arms, since it combined the qualities of two creatures often appearing in knightly coats of arms – the strength of the lion and the swiftness of the eagle, or bravery and courage. The heraldic griffin, usually depicted as griffin rampant, facing left (heraldic right) with an open beak, raised front paws and exposed talons was a sign of the Pomeranian Griffin dynasty. It also appeared in the heraldry of Pomeranian towns, including in the coat of arms of Białogard. The griffin is a reference to Boguslaw IV (ca. 1255-1309), who granted the city its location privileges in 1299. Over the centuries, however, some differences emerged due to not very strict adherence to heraldic rules. The stamp of the Białogard seal from 1797 shows a griffin passant facing left (heraldic right) with its front right paw raised, with a double tail, resembling a Czech lion. This feature is particularly popular. The double tail may have been a borrowing from Czech-Silesian heraldry, like the double-headed imperial eagle on the seal stamp of the guild of Białogard shoemakers, which was contemporaneous to the city seal – it was made in 1799. Both of these seals were most likely made in the same workshop – they are similar in style.

Mieszko Pawłowski