A seal used by John, youngest son of Henry II, who was designated Lord of Ireland by his father. In 1185 John adopted this seal and undertook his first expedition to Ireland. The seal enabled John for the first time to present himself as a magnate in his own right. On the front, John is shown as a fully armed knight carrying a shield charged with two lions passant. These were probably the same arms as those borne by his father, and demonstrate the close relationship between father and son. The legend around the edge of the seal reads SIGILLUM JOHANNIS FILII REGIS ANGLIE DOMINI HIB'NIE (the seal of John, son of the King of England, Lord of Ireland).
