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Nelson and the Royal Navy 1750-1815

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Lot 194

A Very Fine Lloyd's Patriotic Fund Trafalgar Sword of £100 Value to John Conn Esq., Captain of H.M.S. Dreadnought
Dated 21st Octr., 1805

5 July 2005, 11:00 BST

London, New Bond Street

Sold for £134,400 inc. premium

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A Very Fine Lloyd's Patriotic Fund Trafalgar Sword of £100 Value to John Conn Esq., Captain of H.M.S. Dreadnought
Dated 21st Octr., 1805

With curved single-edged hollow-ground blade richly etched and gilt against a blued ground with flowers, foliage, entwined dolphins, naval and martial trophies, figures of Britannia and Victory, crowned arms and cypher of George III, the recipient's initials in a starburst above a phoenix, and the presentation inscription, stirrup hilt of ormolu, the quillons formed as a fasces, the knuckle-guard as a Hercules club entwined by a snake, the langets cast with acanthus foliage and naval trophies, the back-piece of the partly chequered ivory grip (chipped) cast as the skin of the Nemean Lion, in its original foliate engraved scabbard of ormolu decorated with naval medallions on each side cast and chased with the figures of Britannia framed by the inscription 'Dreadnought Nelson Trafalgar 21st Octr. 1805', and Hercules with the Hydra, and the Nemean Lion, the open panels with cast, pierced and chased naval trophies on navy blue velvet grounds, the two suspension loops in the form of coiled serpents, the chape with a border of graduated beads, the top edge of the locket signed 'R. Teed Sword Cutler Lancaster Court Strand', and retaining virtually all its original blued and gilt finish
78 cm. blade

Footnotes

The presentation inscription reads: 'From The Patriotic Fund At Lloyds To John Conn Esqr. Captn. Of H.M.S. Dreadnought For His Meritorious Services In Contributing To The Signal Victory Obtained Over The Combined Fleets Of France And Spain Off Cape Trafalgar On The 21st Of Octr. 1805.'

John Conn was Nelson's cousin by marriage, having married a daughter of the Rev. Isaac Nelson. He entered the Navy in 1778, was promoted to Lieutenant in 1793 and served on the Royal Sovereign from 1 June 1794. He commanded the Discovery (bomb) at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. He was appointed Captain in 1802 and commanded Dreadnought (98 guns) at Trafalgar when the Spanish ship, San Juan (74 guns) struck her colours. In 1810 he was drowned off the Bermudas (further biographical details are included with the lot)

Literature:
Commander W.E. May, R.N. and P.G. Annis, Swords for Sea Service, 1970, p. 70

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