A seal commissioned by Robert the Bruce for Dunfermline Abbey could be saved for the nation by a buyer ready to pay the asking price of £151,250.

Authorised in 1322 by Robert the Bruce, it was used to seal customs documents by Dunfermline Abbey as proof of their authority and endorsement by the King.

Earlier this year, culture minister Ed Vaizey placed a temporary export bar on a two-part bronze seal commissioned by Robert I.

The decision on the export licence application for the seal matrix pair was deferred until 21 June, and again to September 21.

It is not known whether a potential bid for the items has come from an institution in Scotland.

The National Museum of Scotland spokeswoman has said the NMS was not seeking to add the seals to their collections.

The upper part of the seal is engraved with St Margaret, Dunfermline Abbey’s founding saint, and the lower part bears the royal arms of Scotland.

The inscription on the side translates as ‘Robert, by the Grace of God, King of the Scots’.

The seal is extremely rare, and is, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport at Westminster said, "of outstanding significance for the study of medieval Scotland, and medieval goldsmiths’ work."

The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA), administered by The Arts Council in England (ACE), made the recommendation to stop the seal going overseas as it is "of great value for the study of medieval goldsmith work and sigillography and the re-establishment of Scottish institutions under Robert the Bruce."

The seals have been the "property of a London gentleman" until recently sold had auction.

Previously they had been with Dr Ebenezer Henderson.

Henderson, the son of a Dunfermline watchmaker, who lived from 1800-1879 was a scientist and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical and Royal Antiquarian Societies.

In work on the Annals of Dunfermline, published 1879, he confirms that the seals were in his possession from at least 1878.

RCEWA Member Leslie Webster said: "This remarkable and handsome seal-die is of national importance on several counts; it is closely linked to the charismatic figure of Robert the Bruce, and to the history and institutions of Scotland at a crucial time in its evolution as a nation; its association with the royal abbey of Dunfermline sheds light on how the king acted out his authority, delegating the powers of the crown; and its outstanding quality may suggest the influence of French craftsmen."

A spokeswoman for Arts Council England which is handling the case, said: "The consideration of the application for an export licence has been put on hold whilst new information relating to these items is considered."