Wine consumption was both a social and political event during the late 18th and 19th centuries. This bottle seal, which bears the name of “James Madison,” would have been attached to a bottle of wine such as Madeira, an imported, fortified wine that Madison favored. Based on the glass color, these seals were affixed during manufacture of the bottles. The wine bottle seal was recovered by archaeologists in the South Yard and is one of several seals located across the mansion grounds. Archaeologists have also located wine bottle seals associated with James Madison Sr., which use an earlier 18th century typeset “I” in place of the “J.”
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