Cryptic crossword clue
Oil covering end of document on a large emblem of sovereignty 5,4

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 4 letter word GREAT SEAL

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
G
R
E
A
T
S
E
A
L

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "emblem of sovereignty" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case emblem of sovereignty = great seal.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

Crossword Answer definitions

Latest crossword clues with full explanations