-40%
Shipwreck Artifact Royal Mail Steamship Porcelain Plate Cruise Ship Unicorn-Lion
$ 369.07
- Description
- Size Guide
Description
This is a genuine piece of Royal Mail Steam Packet Company shipwreckporcelain circa 1860's that was recovered by divers in the waters of the Caribbean.
The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (RMSP) was founded in London in 1839 by the Scotsman James Macqueen
and was the oldest steam line that carried mail, passengers and general cargo to the West Indies.
The RMSP ordered a fleet of 14 steamers with routes from Britain to the Caribbean islands beginning in January 1842. The RMSP started out successfully, however, in less than a decade seven ships were lost. Despite these losses, the Company grew steadily between 1851 and the 1860's
.
I
n 1867 the RMSP was rocked by a series of disasters. The Leeward Islands were hit with a devastating hurricane and three ships were lost including the fleet's flagship, the
Rhone
,
which was
lost off of the British Virgin Islands.
Shortly
afterwards, the steamship
La Plata
was badly damaged by the infamous earthquake tidal wave in the harbor of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. The RMSP never fully
recovered from these events. Artifacts recovered from RMSP wreck sites include beautiful porcelain dinnerware with the company coat of arms depicting a crown flanked by a unicorn and a lion.
Guaranteed to be over 100 years old,
this artifact is a
one of a kind keepsake that will remind you forever of our rich Caribbean history!