A DESK seal which used to belong to Sir Walter Scott is due to be auctioned this week.

The auction, to be held online by Edinburgh-based auctioneers Lyon & Turnbull, will see the seal from the famed authors' Borders home, Abbotsford House, put under the hammer.

The seal comes from a collection previously owned by the late David Morris.

The seal owned by Sir Walter Scott is estimated to make between £12-18,000.

Lyon & Turnbull specialist Kier Mulholland, who will be at the auction on Friday (May 19), described the collection as being "art in miniature and craftsmanship at its finest".

She added: “This is an exceptional collection of historic and elegant objects.

"David Morris went to great lengths to acquire these significant works, which offer a glimpse into a time when family crests and armorials were of great importance.

"Perhaps most tantalising is that each piece tells us a different story, which is the reason they were collected by Mr Morris.”

The seal from Abbotsford is believed to be from Scott's knighthood in 1820.

Set in lapis lazuli, gold and amethyst, the seal features Scott's family crest.

Sir Walter Scott wrote many letters from his desk in his Borders home, including writing a letter to King George IV, where he may have used this seal.

As well as Scott's seal, others from Morris's Matrix Collection – which contained 100 different seals – include a seal of an armoured arm wielding a dagger from the Wallace family (estimated £2-3,000), the Archbishop Spottiswoode seal (£800-£1,200) and Lady Mary Douglas Hamilton's desk seal (£1,000 -£1,500).

Wax seals have grown in popularity in recent years, particularly for weddings and special occasions.

Visit the Lyon & Turnbull website to view the full collection up for auction, and for more information on accessing the auction on Friday (May 19).