Early examples of equestrian seals are known from second half of the 11th century. The oldest example that may be addressed as an "equestrian seal" is that of William I of England. Among the oldest extant examples in Germany is the seal of Henry of Laach. The horseman is characterized by the kite shield and a conical helmet, often bearing a banner. This type is continued into the mid-12th century, and late examples of kite shields are found into the 1160s.
The peak of usage comes with the development of the tradition of chivalry in the high medieval period, during c. the last quarter of the 12th century and throughout the 13th century. Seals of the 1170s to 1190s show shield shapes transitional between the "kite" and the "heater" type. Helmet shapes become less conical and more rounded. The horseman is now shown as the prototypical "knight" with a heraldic shield. From about the 1230s, the horse is increasingly shown as wearing a heraldic caparison, and the rider as wearing a great helm. Around the middle of the 13th century, there was a fashion to also represent ladies and ecclesiastics on horseback on their seal, not wearing armour, but, as in the cases of Joan, Countess of Flanders, Maria of Brabant, Duchess of Bavaria and Adelaide of Burgundy, Duchess of Brabant practicing falconry.
After 1300, equestrian seals were almost exclusively used by the high nobility, by bearers of the rank of duke or higher. Representations in seals of the 14th century show the nobleman with full heraldic achievements, often carrying a heraldic flag, or with a lance in full jousting armour.
Late forms (after 1550)
Late forms were used well into the early modern period in France and Germany. Depictions of monarchs in full armour, crested helmets, with lances or heraldic flags etc. fell out of use with the end of the joust in the early 17th century. Frederick the Great of Prussia used a Majestätssiegel which depicted him on horseback in 1772. The reverse of the Great Seal of Charles I of England shows the monarch in full gallop, wearing a fanciful classicist armour, accompanied by a hunting dog. The British monarchs from 1707 onward continued the convention of depicting the seated and crowned monarch on the obverse, and the monarch on horseback on the reverse. This is the case also for the queen regnants, who are depicted in sidesaddle. In 1976, Austria minted a commemorative gold coin on the occasion of the millennial anniversary of the Babenberg dynasty, known as the :de:Babenberger |Babenberger-Bundesgoldmünze. The obverse of this coin was designed in the style of a medieval equestrian seal.
