A company seal (sometimes referred to as the corporate seal or common seal) is an official seal used by a company. Company seals were predominantly used by companies in common law jurisdictions, although in modern times, most countries have abrogated the use of seals.^[1] Seal on envelope A seal is an impression printed on, embossed upon, or affixed to a document (or any other object) in order to authenticate it, in lieu of or in addition to a signature. ... A company is, in general, any group of persons, which are known as its members, united to pursue a common interest. ... This article concerns the common-law legal system, as contrasted with the civil law legal system; for other meanings of the term, within the field of law, see common law (disambiguation). ...

Traditionally, the seal was of some legal significance because the affixing of the seal signified that the document was the act and deed of the company, whereas when a document was merely signed by a director, then that was deemed to be an act carried out on behalf of the company by its agents, which was subject to applicable restrictions and limitatins under the ordinary law of agency. Agency is an area of law dealing with a contractual or quasi-contractual relationship between at least two parties in which one, the principal, authorizes the other, the agent, to represent her or his legal interests and to perform legal acts that bind the principal. ...

Seals are generally only used for two purposes by corporations today:

• Documents which need to be executed as deeds (as opposed to simple contracts), may be executed under the company's common seal
• Certain corporate documents, for example share certificates are often issued under the company seal (and some countries required that share certificates be issued under the common seal

Physically, seals used to be used to make an impression on melted wax on the relevant document, although modern seals will usually only leave an indentation or impression on the paper (although sometimes a red wafer is used to imitate old red wax seals, and to make the sealing show up better on photocopies). A deed is a legal instrument used to grant a right. ...

Footnote

1. ^ For example, in the United Kingdom, see section 36A of the Companies Act 1985 abolishing the requirement to affix company seals to a deed.