Royal Navy Rum Flagon 1953 - Checked, Filtered & Resealed By UK Trading Standards 1988 450cl / 54.8%

A 4.5 litre flagon of Royal Navy Rum, presented in the traditional wicker casing. The tag reads CC Date 53, and is believed to have been filled in 1953. This comes from an inventory of rum flagons built up in the 1980s by Carlisle wine and spirits merchant, Border Wines. This was one of two flagons chosen to be inspected by UK Trading Standards on a visit to the company warehouse on 22 May 1988, when its contents were checked for authenticity and ABV. It was then filtered, topped and resealed.

Details/acronyms from the tag include:

ASFC BAOR - Army Strategic Forces - British Army on the Rhine.

BFPO 40 - British Forces Post Office

O.H.M.S - On Her Majesty’s Service

Rum has been associated with the Royal Navy since the British fleet captured the island of Jamaica in 1655. The availability of rum led the Navy to swap the daily ration of French brandy with Caribbean rum, which was issued to each sailor at midday. In the 1740s, Admiral Edward Vernon began the practice of diluting the rum with water to minimize the effect of alcohol on the crew, this mixture became known as ‘grog’.

The daily rum ration, or ‘tot’, was served until 31 July 1970, a day now known as ‘Black Tot Day’. In modern times, a tot of rum is issued to naval crew to celebrate special occasions, such as royal weddings.

Due to the large and fragile nature of this item, we recommend it for collection only.

This Royal Navy Rum Flagon sold at our online auction for £1,650