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MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES
Crafts and Guilds on Stamps
COOPER
If your last name is cooper then you may find a barrel maker among your ancestors.
One fellow in this miniature, hammer raised, is cooping , or coping, if you prefer, by fitting iron bands around the wooden staves of what appears to be a washtub. The term cooper can be traced to the 15th century and is derived from the Dutch word "kupe" or cask. The miniature shows what is very likely a family business.
