Original British Napoleonic Scottish Made Pewter Small Dish marked to H.M.S. AJAX 1798 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice pewter pewter small dish, or possibly a saucer, measuring 4 5/8″ in diameter. It is clearly marked H-M-S AJAX 1798 on the top, indicating service on the well-known vessel during the Napoleonic Wars. Given the extremely small bowl portion of the dish, we assume it was for small portions or sides, or possibly just a saucer to go under a drink.

The rear is marked LONDON in an ark, but it also has “Thistle” Assay marks from Scotland, as well as a CROWN / X proof mark. Pewter marks in Britain are some what confusing, however in general the “Crowned Rose” was used England, while a “Crowned Hammer” and after the 17th century a “Thistle” was used in Scotland to denote the same quality. The Crown / X mark indicates that the dish is “Hard Metal” ware, an alloy of ten parts of tin to one of lead. This is the correct marking for this era and type of flatware.

A very nice Napoleonic Wars Era saucer or small plate, offered in fine condition and ready to display!

History of the H.M.S. Ajax-

HMS Ajax was an Ajax class 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the British Royal Navy, measuring 183 foot in length. She was built by John Randall & Co of Rotherhithe and launched on the Thames on 3 March 1798. Ajax participated in the Egyptian operation of 1801 and the Battle of Cape Finisterre in 1805. She then served in Admiral Lord Nelson’s weather column at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 under the command of acting Captain, Lt. John Pilfold.

She was then unfortunately lost to a disastrous accidental fire during the Dardanelles Operation off Tenedos, on February 11th, 1807 . Of her compliment of 702 souls only two were killed and a further ten wounded.