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Nautical Stock Archive - Page 2
These are some of the SOLD items that have been listed on our website
There are a maximum of 20 items on each page - our most recent sale is listed first - this is now quite a large reference record.
If you have a specific interest, use our keyword search to search the entire stock database.
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 | A Pair of Admiralty Standard Sealed SampleThread Bundles dated 1897 - These unique items are Admiralty Pattern sealed samples to confirm the thread specification to be used on Royal Naval contracts. The labels, showing some age wear, are still readable and carry a wax admiralty seal with fouled anchor to both sides, as well as an instruction "this label is not be removed nor the pattern damaged" and below CP 7365 and clearly dated 1897. A manufacturer's ticket is slipped through the thread of one bundle naming the manufacturer W J Knox Kilbirnie. The firm of W J Knox established their business in 1778 and are still operating from their factory in Ayrshire, making camouflage nets and marine signal equipment and are still supplying the Royal Navy 123 years after these sample were sealed.
Sealed samples were used in Government contracts to check the factory bulk production matched exactly the specification of the sealed sample so was critical in maintaining quality standards. These are absolutely unique pieces and are of historical interest and really deserve to be in a museum collection. Better still of course would be for W. J. Knox to purchase and to go on public display in a factory museum!
These have been in our personal collection since 2001 but it is now finally times to rehome the pair so grab them whilst you can! Each bundle measures 7" (17 cm)
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| Presentation Silver Astray HMSVictory - A solid silver example with good clear hallmarks confirming made by the silversmiths Joseph Gloster Ltd who operated from the Lion Silver Works, Hockley Hill, Birmingham. As well as the makers marks it carries an anchor indicating a Birmingham maker and a date code letter Y for 1923. The centre of the ashtray is finely engraved : 'Lt R. Coombs R. N. In Great Appreciation 1922-24 From Lt Cdr (G) HMS Victory'. Victory of course needs no introduction being a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy launched in 1765. She is best known for her role as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. After Cape St Vincent she was relegated to the role of harbour ship and in 1922, she was moved to a dry dock at Portsmouth, to be preserved. Since October 2012 she has been the flagship of the First Sea Lord and has the distinction of being the world's oldest naval ship still in commission, currently with 241 years' service and counting!
We assume Lieutenant R. Coombs R. N. served on Victory from 1922-24 and was presented with this ashtray as a gift from his fellow Officers and his Commander on his re assignment. Sadly we have no other history with the item but it is worthy of further research. The ashtray shows signs of use but remains in fine original condition, the silver retains a good shine and the presentation engraving and hallmarks are crisp and readable. This would make an excellent stocking filler for the Naval collector in your life and a super bit of history with its direct associations with the most famous vessel in the Royal Navy! Measures 3.75" (9.5 cm)
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| Glass Fishing Floats - a selection of early English made examples finished in green glass. Used to support fishing nets prior to the introduction of plastic floats. These are the last few we have remaining and are all original Victorain examples, but these do not carry any makers marks but all remain in excellent condition and offered at a modest price.
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| Sestrel Marine Barometer - A good original example manufactured by Henry Browne and Son Ltd, of Barking, London. Henry Browne was born in Lewis, Sussex in 1842 and died in Barking in 1935. His company became a well-respected English instrument maker, manufacturing and selling fine quality compasses, ship's clocks, inclinometers, sextants, and barometers for over 140 years and the Trade Mark brand 'Sestrel' was used on all their equipment. The company experienced boom conditions the 1970s but collapsed in the 1980s due to the popularity of cheaper plastic compasses over traditional brass ones.
Our aneroid barometer has a good clear dial which as well as the brand name is marked 'Compensated' meaning it is compensated for temperature variations. Below it is marked 'm. m. Hg' together with 'English Made Marine Barometer'. Barometric pressure is sometimes reported in inches (in/Hg) or millimetres of mercury (mmHg). In this case the scale is calibrated on the outer scale from 950 to 1050 Millibars and on the inner is marked from 71-79 millimetres of mercury. The tell-tale marker is in place and rotates to mark the pressure when recordings are taken.
The case is made from solid brass and shows signs of minor age related wear but it remains in excellent overall condition. Measured on the back rim is 8" or 20 cm whilst the glass diameter is 6" or 15 cm ; it depth is 3 1/2 or 9 cm. The back plate is drilled for bulkhead mounting for use on board ship but is entirely appropriate serving ashore and is a perfect size being neither too small or too big. We currently have it on test here on the office wall and it is recording well the current changes in barometric pressure.
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| Ships Clock ex S. S. William Pearman - Another fine marine clock which we are listing today, made by the quality marine instrument maker James Morton Ltd of Sunderland. This company was established by James Morton who was born in 1856 and with the local shipbuilding business close by benefitted from their trade, supplying instruments, binnacles, telescopes and of course quality timepieces. This example is very heavily built and is designed for bulkhead mounting. What makes it particularly interesting it has a riveted plaque to the heavy brass bezel which reads 'S. S. William Pearman 1941-1961'.
We have been able to trace the vessel against nos 168275 and she was a single screw coaster collier of 1,552 tons, built at Burntisland Shipbuilding Company, founded in Scotland in 1918. The keel laid in 1941, she was launched in 1942 and owned by the British Electrical Authority, which subsequently became the CEGB in 1954. The LPC had its own fleet of coastal colliers to deliver coal to its power stations. Several were flatiron ships, built with low-profile superstructures and fold-down funnel and masts to pass under bridges upriver from Tower Bridge on the River Thames to reach Battersea. The William Pearman was one such vessel. The ships built for the LPC were each named after a person, several of whom were very prominent in the history of electrical engineering. The vessel was finally scrapped and broken up in Sunderland in 1961.
Our clock has an attractive rectangular bezel made from solid cast brass that gives it an essentially deco look and the glass is nicely bevelled. The silvered dial carries Roman numerals and is signed to the maker James Morton in two places. It carries the normal fast/slow adjuster and beside an elaborate 'F' and 'S' either side; the clock does not have a second hand. As mentioned it was clearly bulkhead mounted when fitted on board and whilst it can be displayed without a mount it would be possible to mount within an appropriate aperture or even a cut out in a stud partition wall. The bezel measures 8.5" x 6.75" and the clock is 3.5" deep (21 cm x 17.5 cm x 9 cm).It weighs a substantial 3.1 kilos and was clearly an expensive timepiece in its day. It is ticking away happily on our office wall but we have no idea when it was last serviced and it may be worth the new owner having the mechanism checked.
Whilst most ships clocks we get in have a story to tell these have been mainly lost down the years. We have no such issues knowing where and when this one was made and where it served! The original ships bell from the SS William Pearman was recently sold at auction and it would be great if our clock could be reunited with it and this could be arranged if the new owner would like to get in touch!
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| Royal Navy Rum Pump - Made from copper and brass with a hardwood handle. These were in use with the British Royal Navy from the 19th century onwards to draw the daily rum ration from the keg for distribution to all hands. This tradition was finally abandoned with the last tot being issued to the fleet being issued on 31st July, 1970 - a tradition started in 1667. These pumps were specified against Royal Navy stores reference number 53598 although normally they carried neither identification marks or dates to give us any clues to age or origins. This example is however the exception and above the spout is clearly stamped into the bowl '53598'. We have sold numerous examples over the last 15 years but this is the only one we have ever had that exhibits the stores reference number. In discussing this with a top Royal Navy rum related collector he has confirmed he has only ever seen one similar and the 5 digit number is known as a ' vocab number' and appeared from early fifties until the navy changed over to NATO coding in the early 1960's.
This pump is in generally good issued condition but it has the odd knock and dent in the bowl, commensurate with service use with the Royal Navy. The syphon mechanism is still in place and appears complete but like all our stock is for sale as a collectable/display item only as we cannot guarantee it's original function! The underside of the handle shows wear on the hardwood consistent with significant use where the handle has rubbed against the bowl of the pump.
A museum quality item and a piece of Royal Naval history and with no more ever to be manufactured an increasingly scarce item. So grab this one while you have the opportunity! The last one of these we saw sold on UK E Bay went for £275.00 but we can offers our scarcer variant at a rather keener price. Feel free to request, with no commitment, more detailed photographs that are available here on request. Measures 41" (104 cm).
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| Brass Head Boat hook - An attractive original example, we estimate dating to the mid 20th centuary, with a cast double hook tip. The metal has a most attractive patina and we can't decide if this is brass or bronze. This is held in place on the hardwood pole by a heavy bolt. Whilst for sale as a collectable, like all out stock, it is a very solid heavily made item and we see no reason why it should not be used for its original purpose, if you are fortunate enough to own an appropriate classic boat. The pole and hook measure 62" (158 cm) and the width of the hook is 4.25" (11 cm).
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| Large Early Ships Gimballed Oil Lamp - We have personally collected ships gimbal cabin lamps for over 30 years and this is the first example of this pattern we have ever owned. The font is in cut crystal with three rows of scallop shells around the side with a flat foot base. The glass is in perfect original condition with no cracks or chips. The lamp comes with a solid brass gimble with a decorative wall plate attached. The lamp then sits in a brass ring which is attached to a barley corn twist 'D' shaped mount. It comes with a most unusual burner that has two wicks yet a single control wheel to adjust them with the chimney held in place by sprung catches. The control wheel is marked 'Patented Mar. 2. 1869 June 6 1871 so gives an indication this is a pretty early lamp. It is larger than most which we have seen measuring 12.5" high (32 cm) and projects out from the wall mount by 9" (24 cm).
This would have been a top of the range lamp in its day and around 150 years later it still exudes quality. Whilst we have not tested it we see no reason why it would not work as intended. Certainly a one off and when it is gone it is unlikely we will ever see another.
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| Island of Sark Nautical Pennant - This is an original item made from cotton overlaid with a red motif showing 2 separate rampant lions stitched to the top left corner. It has its original line and toggle attachment.
Whilst its origins were unknown when purchased we have been advised this represents the personal standard of Dame Sibyl Hathaway who was Seigneur of the Channel Island of Sark during the Second World War Occupation. She gave permission for the island to use it when the Island Games were started and it has been the island flag ever since.
It features a white background with the red Cross of St George, which is a common theme through the Channel Islands flags. The red canton in the upper left corner contains two yellow lions. This is similar to the arms of Normandy, which the Channel Islands were part of until 1204.
The pennant measures 30"x 8" (33 cm x 21- cm) and is in good flown condition.
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| Pacific Steam Navigation Company Pastry Cutters - The Pacific Steam Navigation Company was established in 1838 carrying mail and passengers and operated in the Pacific coast of South America, and was the first to use steam ships for commercial traffic in the Pacific Ocean. The company was finally incorporated into Royal Mail Lines in 1938. These two rings, which are made from plated metal, are nicely embossed with the company crest featuring Pacific Steam Navigation around the edge and a crown in the centre. We are not 100% sure of their purpose. One ring is a fraction smaller than the other and it has been suggested they were pastry cutters as they have a rounded ring on the top and a bevelled sharper edge on the bottom although we stand to be corrected on this! The larger ring measures 4" diameter (11.5 cm) and the smaller is 3.75" (9.5 cm). Our price is for the pair but happy to sell individually at £15.00 each.
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| Original Canoe Paddle - A small but beautifully formed canoe paddle made from varnished pine and finished with a light wax polish. Seeing its diminutive size of just 36" (92 cm) this would make ideal wall decoration in a nautically themed room, beach hut or similar. It has a repaired crack in the paddle blade so for sale for ornamental purposes only but is the perfect designer piece, at a modest price
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| Presentation Plaque - named to USS Atlanta SSN712 Resurgens. Reverse reads: "Presented to Flag Officer Sea Training Radm J M Webster"
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| Royal Navy Ditty Box - A pine box which was issued to sailors so as to keep their personal possessions, including letters from home, safe and private. They were all made to a standard design and size. This example carries a brass plate to the front with the original owner's name H. Eldridge. Our research indicates a Herbert Eldridge was a boy first class sailor service no. J/37894 and he served aboard HMS Queen Mary in WWI. He sadly died in action on the first day of the Battle of Jutland on the 31st May, 1916 aged 16. He is remembered with honour on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Good original condition but lacking key. 12" (21 cm)
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| Admiralty Standard Thread Bundle dated 1897 - This unique item is a sealed sample to confirm the thread specification to be used on Royal Naval contracts. The label, showing some age wear, is still readable and carries a wax admiralty seal with fouled anchor to both sides, as well as an instruction quotation "this label is not be removed nor the pattern damaged" and below CP 7365 and clearly dated 1897. A manufacturer's ticket is slipped through the thread W J Knox Kilbirnie N.B. The firm of W J Knox established their business in 1778 and are still operating from their factory in Ayrshire, making camouflage nets and marine signal equipment and are still supplying the Royal Navy 118 years after this sample was sealed. This has been in our personal collection for some years but is now offered for sale for the first time. 7" (17 cm)
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| Early glass fishing float embossed 'P.C.F' - On offer is a very attractive and original glass fishing float in near perfect condition. Whilst we can't pretend these floats are our specialist subject online research indicates this example could be of either Norwegian or German origin. One source indicates the initials represent Peter Christian Falchenberg who was born in 1854 in Kragerø, Norway. In 1876 he established a chandlery in the Norwegian city of Grimstad but in 1898 it relocated to Oslo. The company's business involved supplying ropes and cables for marine use as well as special fishing products including glass floats.
Another website advises '+P.C.F+' marked floats are of German origin, and made by a company called Heye Glass. The rationale for this surmise is the "+P.C.F+" marked glass floats feature the same manufacturing detail, thickness and colour as the Heye produced clover marked floats;whist we prefer the first theory we leave it to our visitors to decide which is correct! Whatever its origins this float is manufactured in a dark green glass and appears to be blown from a single piece. The PCF logo is crisp and well defined, with + marks above and below. The float measures about, 4.5" diameter (11.5 cm)
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| HMS Sheffield Copper Ashtray - This tray seems to relate to the first Royal Navy ship to be named, HMS Sheffield, a Cruiser of 9,100 tons launched in 1936. Here fittings were made from stainless steel rather than brass and as a result she was always known as 'The Shiny Sheff'! She survived WWII and was not broken up until 1967. Sadly the next ship to carry this name was lost to an Exocet in the Falkland's war in 1982. These little trays were offered for sale onboard via the NAAFI shop to serving crew members and were mainly bought as gift for friends and relations back home. This and the rest of the small collection we are listing today are all of the period and would make a great gift for anyone with an association with this fine ship. Measures 3.75" diameter (9.5 cm)
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| HMS Gunner Trench Art Ashtray - This is the second "Gunner" dish we have listed this week but with this one absolutely no doubt to which ship or base it relates to. It is ornately engraved "HMS Gunner" and also carries below the dated 1918. The only other Navy ship to carry this name was not launched until 1927 so this clearly relates to the WWI vessel that was based at Granton harbour in Scotland and was operational from 1915-1919 and used as the base for mine-sweeping, utilising mainly Scottish trawlers and their crews, called into active service and conscripted as part of the Royal Navy Reserve. The base itself also acquired the name of "HMS Gunner" in reference to the name of the largest converted trawler/minesweeper in its fleet. Granton harbour was also home to decoy ships (Q-ships) and anti-submarine vessels. Conscripted fishing vessels were regarded as part of the Royal Navy so our ashtray is probably associated with this vessel or possibly the Granton land base itself which was otherwise known as a "Stone Frigate".
The tray is made from beaten copper, in an arts and crafts style, and is clearly hand rather than commercially made. In addition to the ships name "HMS Gunner" and the date it also carries what appears to be initials to the centre reading "AWS", which could possibly help identify the hands that made it 4.5" (11.5 cm). With the festive season fast approaching this could be the ideal stocking filler for the Royal Navy or trench art collector in your life!
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| HMS Vernon Ward Room Presentation Silver Napkin Ring - Another super item we bought at auction in 2005 but was subsequently mislaid in our stock room, but which has finally seen the light of day, together with a number of other assorted items that came in the mixed lot.
This napkin ring, made in Sheffield in 1905 carries makers marks to H.A. signifying the maker was Atkins Brothers of Sheffield, a business that traces its origins to Thomas Law, a silversmith active in Sheffield from 1750 until 1775.
The front of the ring is engraved 'W.R. Officers' an '8' and below HMSVernon ; W.R. identifies this ring was for use in the Ward Room Officers Mess. On the reverse is a presentation engraving 'From E.C.B.' We assume the individual with these initials presented the ring to the Ward Room Officers Mess of HMS Vernon sometime around 1905. The inside of the ring is named to S.Lanyon, 4 Ordinance Row, Portsmouth so we assume this was the supplier. In addition scratched in the silver is number P22194. We have identified a similarly marked ring is held in the Imperial War Museums London collection.
HMS Vernon was a shore establishment or "stone frigate" of the Royal Navy. Vernon was established on 26th April 1876 as the Royal Navy's Torpedo Branch and was named after the ship HMS Vernon which served as part of its floating base. After the First World War, HMS Vernon moved ashore, taking over the Gunwharf site, where it continued to operate until 1st April 1996. The ring shows minor service wear but seeing it is well over 100 years old it is in amazing condition and would provide an ideal stocking filler for the Royal Naval collector in your life.
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| Brass Merchant Navy Desk Plaque - We bought this little item at auction in 2005 and it subsequently got mislaid in our stock room over the last 14 years, but it has finally seen the light of day again today, together with a number of other assorted miscellaneous items that came in the mixed lot! King George V bestowed the title of "Merchant Navy" on the British merchant shipping fleets following their service in the First World War. Our crest is made from a very solid lump of cast brass and is in standard form with an oval surround of rope, knotted at bottom and surmounted by a naval crown with 'MN' embossed within. It is securely mounted on a polished hardwood mount that comes complete with a support strut for display purposes The mount measures 5" x 3.5" (12.5 cm x 9 cm) and with the Christmas season fast approaching this would be the ideal stocking filler for the Merchant Navy collector (or veteran) in your life!
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| HMS Gunner R.N.V.R. Brass Tray - We have researched two possible scenarios for the this fine brass tray, the final item from the mainly Royal Naval collection we have just listed. The first possibility relates to WWI when Granton harbour in Scotland was used as the base for mine-sweeping, utilising mainly Scottish trawlers and their crews, called into active service and conscripted as part of the Royal Navy Reserve. Granton was operational from 1915-1919 and was officially renamed as "HMS Gunner" in reference to the name of the largest trawler in its fleet. The harbour was then home to mine-sweepers, decoy ships (Q-ships), and anti-submarine vessels. Conscripted fishing vessels were regarded as part of the Royal Navy so our tray may relate to this trawler/minesweeper or to the associated land base.
The alternative possibility is this relates to a conscripted trawler FY568, built by Cochrane & Sons Shipbuilders Ltd in 1927 and taken over by the Admiralty in September 1939; she was 350 tons and was armed with a single 12 pdr anti-aircraft gun, mounted on the foredeck. As in WWI and despite the Royal Navy being the largest in the world, it was still not big enough to protect the convoys of merchant ships bringing goods and raw materials to our Island Nation. The Admiralty therefore requisitioned suitable ships to be used as minesweepers, many being trawler and drifters, that could simply be converted for minesweeping rather than fishing duties. These were normally commanded by RNR/RNVR (Royal Navy Reserve or the Volunteer Reserve) Lieutenants but often the ships were manned by their civilian crews. HMS Gunner served throughout the war, survived and was returned to her owners in 1946 and was finally scrapped in Ghent Belgium in 1954.
The tray carries a standard Royal Navy crest of Crown, Wreath and Anchor with R.N.V.R. above signifying Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. Below is the ships name HMS Gunner;it remains in remakably good condition with just the odd age mark to the brass. Either of the two suggested scenarios fit as no other vessel has ever served with the Navy that has carried the name 'Gunner'. We tend to think the second option is most applicable but all we can say for sure only one is the true story but we will leave that for the new owner to decide! The tray's diameter is 6" (15 cm) and would ne an ideal stocking filler for the Royal Naval collector in your life!
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