London –The Lloyd's Patriotic Fund Trafalgar sword awarded to Philip Durham, Captain of H.M.S. Defiance at the Battle of Trafalgar, 1805 sold for £150,250 at the Bonhams Arms and Armour Sale in London on Wednesday 24 November. One of only 23 swords worth £100 each presented to captains who had taken part in the Battle of Trafalgar, it had been estimated at £120,000-150,000.

Bonhams Head of Arms and Armour, David Williams, said: "The Lloyd's £100 Patriotic Swords were a token of the esteem in which the ships' captains at Trafalgar were held. They are very rare, and I am not surprised that the bidding on this occasion was so intense nor that the sword sold for such a high price."

An exceptional cased Russian presentation 54-bore percussion double-action five-shot revolver dated 1860 (right). It was presented to Captain Henry Phillpotts by Grand Duke Michael Nikolayevich (left). Sold for £77,750.

The sale also featured an intriguing and exceptional cased Russian presentation 54-bore percussion double-action five-shot revolver dated 1860. It was presented to Captain Henry Phillpotts by Grand Duke Michael Nikolayevich and has been in the family ever since. The revolver sold for £77,750, having been estimated at £20,000-30,000.
As usual, the sale offered a fine selection of duelling pistols including:

• A cased pair of Flintlock Duelling Pistols by Joseph Manton, London from 1814. Sold for £27,750 (estimate: £10,000-15,000).

• A rare, cased pair of 28-bore Flintlock Duelling Pistols by Prosser, Charing Cross, London, dated 1803. Sold for £21,500 (estimate: £8,000-12,000).

29 November 2021