Royal Navy Rum Flagon - Pair Bottled 1953 2 x 450cl

A pair of Royal Navy Rum flagons, still in their original wooden crate. The wax seal on each flagon is embossed with the numbers '8-53', which indicates these were sealed in August 1953.

The front panel has the following markings:

S/2

FSO 70165

Antwerp

Lock-Up Stowage

The top panel has the following markings:

R.A.S.C Sups (Royal Army Service Corps Supplies)

This Side Up

Glass With Care

RE/PKD

5S.R.D

9-67 (We suspect this means these flagons were repacked in September 1967)

Each side is marked:

2118 (right side only)

R.A.S.C Sups

The wax stamps that seal the flagons are embossed with the words 'R.V.Y', 'Deptford', and the numbers '8-53' are visible.

This comes with a Certificate of Pristine Storage from Octavian Vaults (printed from an electronic copy). This states that the crate was laid down in Corsham Cellars on 28 February 2003, and were kept in pristine condition until being removed from storage on 22 August 2018.

The crate and flagons together weigh a total of approximately 23.3kg.

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.

This Royal Navy Rum Flagon - Pair sold at our online auction for £4,400