Handbook for translators of Spanish historical ... - University Library

HANDBOOK FOR TRANSLATORS OF SPANISH HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS
Stamps and seals are commonly found on legal documents.
In order to indicate a difference in transcription Tsetween
a stamp and a seal, the rule has "been established that any
impression seemingly placed on the paper "before it was used
for writing, except a watermark, is classified as a seal;
whereas, a stamp is any impression made on the paper after
it was used, such as a notary's stamp, or a government
stamp pasted on the document. A wax staiirp is indicated "by
placing the words "Wax stsimp" enclosed in brackets at the
point where the stamp occurs in the original. The words
"seal" and "stamp" are also placed on a transcription or
translation within brackets to indicate the existence of
such impressions on the document. It is occasionally possible
to read the words inscribed on the seal or stamp. In
such cases the inscription should be transcribed and placed
within brackets immediately after the word "seal" or "stamp".
10. Marginal notes , addres?^es , and e ndorsements . Several
kinds of notes appear in Spanish historical documents.
Those which give a s^'ommary of the document should be placed
at the beginning or at the end of the transcription, as in
the original, preceded by the symbols iM.N.j in brackets
and spaced as indicated here. As a rule, other notes, including
those prefaced by the abbreviations P. D. ^ posdata ^ ,
or N. B. , nota bene j , should be placed in brackets at the
end of the document. Any marginal notations which would be
obviously out of place at the end of the transcription, however,
should be inserted on the side of the transcription
at the point corresponding to the place where they appear
in the original; a cordillera , or relay list, would fall in
this class. Cattle brands, sketches of items introduced as
court evidence and other symbols appearing in the original
should be faithfully traced in pencil in the transcription
and later done in India ink.
A reply written on the margin of a letter, with possibly
a different date, place of writing, and signature of its
own, is a letter, not a marginal note, and should be treated
as such.
Addresses and endorsements should be copied at the end
of the document, preceded by the bracketed word "Address"
or '.'Endorsement." The address should precede the endorsement,
for that is the order in which they were written originally.
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