Which ancient civilization first widely used distinctive merchant seals as a form of brand identity to guarantee product quality and build customer trust?

Before billboards and television commercials, ancient civilizations developed sophisticated methods to promote their goods and establish recognizable brand identities. From pottery maker's marks to merchant seals, the foundations of modern branding began thousands of years ago. This trivia question explores how ancient merchants created memorable identities for their products and established customer loyalty in the bustling marketplaces of antiquity.

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Mesopotamia (specifically Sumerian merchants around 3000 BCE)
Ancient Egypt (during the New Kingdom period)
Classical Greece (primarily in Athens' Agora marketplace)
Imperial Rome (following standardization under Emperor Augustus)