Deeply moved by the filial piety of the crown prince, 83-year-old King Yeongjo (r. 1724-1776) bestowed this silver seal upon his grandson who later became King Jeongjo (r. 1776-1800) in 1776. King Jeongjo, since then, always placed the seal and instruction in his front at morning assemblies or carried them during his processions. The engraving on the seal is King Yeongjo’s own writing which reads, “孝孫八十三書” (‘Hyoson palsipsam seo’ meaning “[To my] filial grandson at the age of 83”). This is the only royal seal where the king’s calligraphy is inscribed.

While the red case is not different from other ones in that it has a turtle on top and handles on both sides, the two Chinese characters “御筆”, (‘eopil’ meaning “calligraphy of a king”) and “銀印” (‘eunin’ meaning a silver seal) inscribed on its front distinguish it from the other cases.

In the royal instruction given along with the seal, King Yeongjo sincerely hoped that his grandson’s filial piety be acknowledged eternally, and also conveyed his strong trust in the crown prince. On its tubular case, it reads, “御製諭書” (‘eojeyuseo’ meaning “an instruction written by a king”).