Tally - update

[Benjamin Barrett]

"Tally" in "tally impression" and "tally seal" perhaps comes from definition 4a of the OED:

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a. Each of the two corresponding halves or parts of anything; a thing, or part, that exactly fits or agrees with another thing or corresponding part; a counterpart; fig. an agreement, correspondence.
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The most recent citation for this meaning is 1906.

A tally impression is what you get when you stamp a chop on two pieces of paper simultaneously, leaving half on each piece. I personally have used this as a translation for the Japanese 割゠印 (wariin) on at least one occasion as per Kenkyusha's J>E dictionary.

1. "Law and justice in Tokugawa Japan: materials for the history of Japanese law and justice under the Tokugawa Shogunate 1603-1867," Volume 5, John Henry Wigmore, University of Tokyo Press, 1969, p. 5 (http://ow.ly/84zvl)

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The owner makes a deed of grant during his lifetime and delivers it under cover to the local officials, who keep it, sealing it with a tally impression.
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2. "Memoirs of the Research Department of the Toyo Bunko (the Oriental Library)," Issues 11-13, Toyo Bunko, Kenkyubu, The Toyo Bunko, 1939, perhaps p. 107 (http://ow.ly/84zDx)

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...the part prior to this is damaged and missing, as is inferred from the survival, on the first line of the extant document, of the left half of a red square seal — probably a tally-impression stamped on the joint of the two pieces.
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3. "The Journal of Asian studies," Volume 59, Issue 1, Association for Asian Studies, 2000 (http://ow.ly/84zSn)

p. 117
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The Hakata trader presented to SÇ’ngjong imprints of a split tally seal.
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p. 119
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To prevent ruses such as those since the repatriation, the Prime Minister asked the ChÇ’son court to issue him, on behalf of the Ryukyu government, a split tally seal.
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4. "History of law in Japan since 1868," Part 5, Volume 12, edited by Wilhelm Röhl, p. 213, 2005 (http://ow.ly/84A4K)

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The old endorsing and tally seal procedure was, however, replaced by a new scheme of registration that was to be handled by the registration offices, which were placed under the control of the presidents of the Law Courts.
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5. "Japanese legislation in the Meiji era," Ryōsuke Ishii, Pan-Pacific Press, 1958, p. 618 (http://ow.ly/84AaU)

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By its terms, the old endorsing and tally seal procedure was replaced by a new scheme of registration that was to be handled by the registration offices.
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6. “Tantric and Taoist studies in honour of R.A. Stein,” Volume 21, Michel Strickmann, Rolf Alfred Stein, Institut belge des hautes études chinoises, 1983, page 316 (http://ow.ly/84Axd, http://ow.ly/84AvL)

I'm unsure of the final Chinese character in this citation.

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On the four sides were key-slots [into which were fitted] panels (chien 4& ) of white jade [bound] with golden string [held in place by] yellow plaster seals imprinted on both sides with the five characters: 'Tally seal of the Yellow Emperor of Heaven' (t'ien huangi-ti fu-hsi 天黄帝苻玺).
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Benjamin Barrett
Seattle, WA

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