Sigismvndvs Avgvstvs, Dei gratia rex…
Sigismund Augustus (Sigismundus Auguſtus),  King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, insists that all officials and residents of Vilnius City should do their duty to their country and city.

Authenticity
Original.
Place and date of issue
Piotrkow (Piotrcovia), 1552.
Seal
A red wax impressed seal (Ø 4 cm) in a paper cover, affixed with linen thread.
Signed by
Sigismundus Auguſtus Rex – Sigismund Augustus, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.
Language
Latin. There are records in Polish.
Illumination
None.
Material
Parchment, paper and ink.
Dimensions
Single sheet format: 32 x 20.7 cm.
Text: 23.5 x 7.5 cm.

 

ìàðÙèíîâàß ïdîöåíÙÚêDîñêàß ãNàíà õðåáÙîâíà. ÷èíþ ßâíî ñèìÚ ìîèìÚ ëèñÙîìÚ...
Hana Chrebtovna Martinovaja Podcentkovskaja donates Kareiviškės (êîðåâèøêè) estate in Trakai district to her husband Martin Podcentkovskij (ìàðÙèíà ïdîöåíÙÚêDîñêîãî).

Authenticity
Original.
Place and date issue
Vilnius (Ö âèëüíè), October 22, 1552.
Seals
Four attached seals belong to:
· Venclav Vezhbitski (âåíöëàâÚ), Žemaitian bishop; an oval red wax seal (2.1 x 2.4 cm) in a wax shell (Ø 5.8 cm);
· Michael Jurjevich Radvila (ìèêîëà9 þðÚåâè÷ü ðàäèâèëÚ), Trakai palatine; a red wax seal (Ø 2 cm) in a wax shell (Ø 5.2 cm);
· Ivan Gornostaj (èâàíÚ ãîðíîñÙàè), Novogrudok palatine etc.; an oval (1.8 x 2.4 cm) brown wax seal in a wax shell (Ø 5.6);
· Hana Chrebtovna Martinovaja Podcentkovskaja; an oval (1.5 x 2 cm) brown wax seal in a wax shell (Ø 5.4 cm).
All seals are affixed to the parchment with a string of red thread, which joins all the wax shells. Two ends of the string are left at each seal (parchment fold-up is 7 cm, 5 slits for the string are spaced 4.7–4.6–4.6–3.9 cm apart). One end of the string at the seal of Hana Chrebtovna Martinovaja Podcentkovskaja has not remained.
Signed by
None.
Language
Office Slavic. Semiuncial changes to cursive writing. An archival record and signatures on the reverse are in Polish.
Illumination
None.
Material
Parchment and ink.
Dimensions
Single sheet format: 66.2 x 33.9 + 7 cm.
Text: 55 x 23 cm.

[æ]èêãèìîíF 6àâãÖñÙÚ áXî6þ ìCëÙè6þ êîðLî ïLîñêè9 âlånêè9 ê0íçü...
Sigismund Augustus ([æ]èêãèìî^íF 6àâãÖñÙÚ),  King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, guarantees Jaronim Aleksandrovich Chodkevicha (6ßðîíèìà àëåêñNàäðîâè÷à õîäêåâè÷à), Žemaitian elder and the landholder of Plateliai, Vilkija and Telšiai, the right of ownership of Grinkovski (ãðèNêîâÚñêè9) estate and Svisločius (ñâèñëî÷Ú) town with church property on land.

Authenticity
Original.
Place and date issue
Vilnius (Ö âèëíè), November 19, 1559.
Seal
The lesser red wax attached seal of GDL (Ø 4.2 cm) in a wax shell (Ø 10.1 cm) that was affixed to the document with a leather band. Parchment fold-up is 12.9 cm, two triangular slits for the string are spaced 13.9 cm apart. At the moment the seal is preserved separately.
Signed by
Sigismundus Augustus Rex – Sigismund Augustus, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania;
Nicolaus Radzjvyl Paltnus Vilnen Spremus Marssalcus & Canclariusthe – Michael Radvila [the Black], Vilnius Palatine and GDL Chancellor;
6wñÙàô5å ìàðøàëKî ïèñàðü – Ostafej [Volovich],  marshal and scribe.
Language
Office Slavic. Semiuncial changes to cursive writing. Signatures of Sigismund Augustus and Michael Radvila are in Latin. An archival record and a signature on the reverse are in Polish.
Illumination
None.
Material
Parchment and ink.
Dimensions
Single sheet format: 67.2 x 37.5 + 12.9 cm.
Text: 51 x 31.5 cm.

In nomine Domini amen. Ad perpetuam huius rei memoriam…
Sigismund Augustus (Sigismundus Augustus), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, transumes and confirms his own privilege of December 9, 1522 lost to a fire, by which the shoemakers' guild is established in Vilnius (Vilna) and its statute is ratified.]

Authenticity
Original.
Place and date of issue
Vilnius (Vilna), November 26, 1560.
Seal
A fragment of the lesser red wax attached seal of GDL (Ø 2 cm) in a fragment of a wax bowl (Ø 5 cm) is affixed to the document with a string of coloured thread (parchment fold-up is 10.2 cm, two slits for the string are spaced 7 cm apart).
Signed by
Nicolaus Radzjwjl, pal(a)t(i)nus Vilnen(sis) et canc(e)larius – Michael Radvila [the Black], [GDL] Chancellor and Vilnius Palatine.
Language
Latin. Records on the reverse are in Polish.
Illumination
None.
Material
Parchment and ink.
Dimensions
Single sheet format: 56.3 x 30 + 10.2 cm.
Text: 44 x 19.5 cm.

ÂnîìÝ áîXÅ ñÙàíüñÝ êó âå÷íî9 ïàìåÙè...
Sigismund Augustus (æ7èêãèìîíÙÚ 7àâãóñÙÚ), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, grants the nobility, landowners and dukes of Orthodox belief, resident in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, equal rights with Catholics to occupy state service positions, obtain land and participate in state administration.

Authenticity
Original.
Place and date issue
Vilnius (Ö âLèíè), June 6, 1563.
Seal
The greater red wax attached seal of GDL (Ø 7.1 cm) in a wax shell (Ø 12.4 cm) and in a metal box (Ø 14.2 cm) is affixed to the document with a string of golden and silver thread. Parchment fold-up is 8.4 cm, two slits for the string are spaced 7.7 cm apart.
Signed by
Sigismundus Augustus Rex et Magnus dux – Sigismund Augustus, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania;
Nicolaus Radziwjl Paltnus Vilnens Spremus Marssalus – Michael Radvila, Vilnius Palatine and Grand Marshal;
ìèêîëà íàðÖøåâè^÷ ñýêðåÙrà è ïèñrà rý ärå ìrà – Mikolaj Naruszewicz, secretary and scribe, ?, landholder of Markov.
Language
Office Slavic. Cursive writing. Archival records on the reverse are in Polish.
Illumination
None.
Material
Parchment and ink.
Dimensions
Single sheet format:  75.5 x 59 + 8.4 cm.
Text: 55 x 44.5 cm.