The cords attached to this parchment held wax seals, which were used in lieu or in conjunction with a signature in order to verify the authenticity of a document. Unlike signatures today, seals were considered to be more secure than a standard scribble due to the precise nature of the creation of the die -- if an official seal were to miss, say, a minor detail, it would be more easily verifiable against a counterfeiter by the legitimate issuing body. However, wax seals were also prone to disintegration over time, which eventually led to their encapsulation in brass protective covers as can be seen in this Letters Patent to the City of Caulfield in 1977.