File:Medieval papal bull (FindID 242608).jpg

English: Medieval lead papal bulla of Honorius III (1216-27). The bulla survives in good condition with light rust-like staining to both obverse and reverse sides. The bulla has a wide and rather angular flan, the space from the pelleted border to the edge of this flan being up to 6mm wide on the reverse side, with the curvature of the bulla matrix edge being partly visible. Interestingly, this wide and irregular flan shape appears to be a feature of bullae of Honorius III, with similar irregular and large examples occuring on the bullae recovered from Cawston and Stradsett. Honorius is a relatively prolific issuing pope with eight bullae (including this example) now known from East Anglia. His reign saw a steady increase in the number of papal documents issued per year, a trend that continued until the late thirteenth century. The holes left by the cord which attached the seal to the document can be seen clearly and perhaps indicate string was used. This is important as string attachment indicates documents carrying papal orders, prohibitions or injunctions, known as 'Letter of Justice'. The alternative, silk threads, were used for grants and privaleges. The obverse and reverse dies are at and angle of 8 degrees, not a particularly tight sealing. The bulla reverse exhibits a number of die flaws that have previously been noted on a bulla of Honorius' predecessor, Innocent III (1198 - 1216), from Emneth. Both have a faint ridge running down from the A of SPA, and ridges running up from the S and E of SPE to the pelleted border. There is a possible die flaw on the obverse below the O.