Enamel and Gold Nelson Memorial Ring, Made for His Aunt, Mrs Thomasine Goulty

The enamelling on this quatrefoil gold pendant is attributed to Ray & Montague: ‘hiltmakers, goldworkers and enamellers’. The obverse is mounted with a vitreous paste profile portrait cameo of Admiral Viscount Nelson within four navy blue enamel panels with the gilt inscription: ‘H·Nelson·Died·for His·Country at·Trafalgar Oct:21·1805’ all within ropework borders. The reverse is mounted with an oval polychrome enamel plaque representing a blue Royal Navy ensign flying triumphant above the flags of France and Spain superimposed with an anchor and laurel wreath against a red background within four navy blue enamel panels with the gilt inscription: Glory to the Souls of the Brave, a line from The Battle of the Baltic written in 1801 by Scottish poet Thomas Campbell (1777-1844) to commemorate Nelson’s victory at the Battle of Copenhagen. Cameo with incised signature Tassie F. 1805 English, 1805 John Ray and James Montague succeeded to the celebrated enamelling and goldsmithing firm of James Morisset (1738-1815) in 1800. Like Morisset, they specialised in presentation swords...

Sir Harold Dudley Clayton: Naval architect and boat builder’s plans for Zinita, 1909. Four framed naval architect’s drawings of the sail plan, cabin plan, sections and hull of ‘Zinit...

An extremely rare ring that commemorates the naval hero, Horatio Nelson, who died in 1805 at the Battle of Trafalgar, fighting against the Napoleonic forces. Dr William Nelson, the admiral's brother, ordered 58 mourning rings for family and friends and every admiral and post-captain who fought at the Battle of Trafalgar . The ring is inscribed on the bezel ‘Trafalgar’; outside the hoop with Nelson’s motto in Latin, ‘Let him who earned it bear the palm [of victory]’, adopted by Nelson from a poem ‘Ad Ventos’ written in 1727 by John Jortin (1698-1770). Inside is the inscription ‘Lost to his country 21 October 1805, aged 47’. The initials N and B stand for Nelson and Bronte. Admiral Nelson was given the title of Duke of Bronte in 1799 by the King of Sicily and in 1801 became a Viscount. The two coronets above the initials refer to these titles. Tthe motto Palmam qui meruit ferat ("let him who has earned it, bear the palm") was added to his coat of arms in 1798 after the Battle of the Nile. Nelson was buried with full honours in St Paul's Cathedral. His cortege consisted of 32 admirals, over a hundred captains, and an escort of 10,000 soldiers. This ring is an example of only fifty-eight that were made by Nelson's jeweller John Salter in 1806. Thirty-one were for Nelson's close family and friends, the rest for pall-bearers and other dignitaries (see The Nelson Dispatch, vol.3 pt.XII, oct.1990). Three similar examples of this ring are held extremely prestigious museums in the capital. One is in the Greenwich National Maritime Museum in London, another in The British Museum in London and another in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, exhibited in the Jewellery Gallery, case 23, no. 8. The ring has a particularly special provenance, arguably like no other mourning ring of Admiral Nelson’s. The ring belonged to the Reverend Alexander John Scott. The Reverend Alexander John Scott (1768-1840) was a British naval chaplain. He was appointed to the flagship H.M.S. Victory in 1803 where he served as private secretary to Lord Nelson. He was with Nelson when when he was shot on the quarter-deck of the Victory at the battle of Trafalgar on the 21st October 1805. Scott attended his dying chief in the cockpit of the flagship, receiving his last wishes. He refused to leave Nelson's body until it was brought back to England and placed in the coffin to lie in the Painted Hall Greenwich. The ring, lock of hair and music book were passed down by the direct descendants of the Reverend Alexander John Scott's family and eventually gifted to the previous owners. The music book was a personal possession of the Reverend which gives watertight provenance of the person who owned the ring. It is not clear exactly what Admiral Nelson’s last words really were although Scott documents Nelson’s last words to be “God and my country“. However, it is also recorded that a statement during his last hours was "Thank God I have done my duty.” Perhaps these two statements uttered in the last moments sound similar when mumbled by a feeble dying man. Nonetheless, it is noteworthy is that Scott remained by Admiral Nelson’s side as he died and his version is probably the most reliable. The lock of hair is reputedly that of Lord Admiral Nelson. Without a DNA test there can be no conclusive proof of such. However, given that Reverend Alexander John Scott was with Nelson from the moment he was shot on the quarter-deck of H.M.S. Victory until the moment he was placed in his coffin, there is no reason to believe it is not a lock of Nelson’s hair. It is difficult to overstate the significance and rarity of Nelson’s mourning rings. With only fifty-eight made, the vast majority of them were given to close family members and only a few were given to close friends. A close friend who receives a morning ring...

VINTAGE 18K GOLD, BLUE & GREEN ENAMEL AND DIAMOND RING 9.8 grams total weight 7 round brilliant-cut diamonds marked "18K" & "ITALY" Item # 109FTP14P An incredibly fine and striking cocktail ring in size 7...