Charter documents were already being drafted in Roman times. The oldest archival document in the Netherlands is the (forged) charter that the German king Otto I granted in 950 to the Limburg abbey of Thorn. The oldest written document that has survived is the wooden writing tablet from Tolsum, dated 28 AD.

In the early Middle Ages, charters were written on papyrus. Later, people switched to parchment, which is extremely durable and made from the hides of cows, goats, sheep, or other animals. During the 14th century, paper also came into use.

Ecclesiastical and secular dignitaries such as popes, bishops, abbots and abbesses, emperors and empresses, kings and queens, dukes and duchesses, and counts and countesses were the first to record their agreements in charters. Starting in the 12th century, municipalities, knights, priests, burghers, and peasants followed suit.

In the early Middle Ages, the signature was the most common way to give charters legal validity. By the end of the 9th century, bishops were using seals to give their charters legal force. During the 11th century, the use of seals became widespread. Emperors, bishops, and princes were the first to use them, followed by nobles, monasteries, and cities. From the 13th century onward, aldermen and prominent citizens also had their own seals. Most seals were made of beeswax, but popes used lead, and a number of high-ranking princes and church leaders used gold or silver. A seal was not only a means of ratifying a charter but also served as a status symbol for its owner.

Charters are official documents, but they have also been forged. The 12th century, in particular, saw the production of many forged charters. Since a charter could be used to assert one’s rights, it was tempting to forge one’s own charter when one lacked a legal title.

Charter documents were originally written in Latin. Starting in the 13th century, charters in the vernacular also began to appear. The oldest charter in the vernacular from Dutch Limburg dates from 1294.

The charters were carefully stored in large chests or cabinets. Many charters were also transcribed into registers, so we still have access to numerous medieval texts whose original versions have been lost. The fragile parchment charters are now preserved in archives equipped with fire-resistant doors, advanced climate control systems, and alarm systems.

Medieval writers generally used a quill, but sometimes also a reed pen. The ink was iron gall ink, made from iron salt, tannin extracted from gallnuts, water or wine, and a binder (gum arabic).

A charter is an official written document intended to serve as evidence of a legally binding agreement between two or more parties. It is drafted according to fixed rules and formats that vary depending on where the charter originated and the period in which it was created.