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The Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund £100 sword awarded to Commander Arthur Farquhar under Admiral Viscount Nelson’s command in 1805.
Overall Length: 39in (99cm)
This £100 sword is inscribed in gilt on the heavily blued single-edged blade ‘From the Patriotic Fund at Lloyds, to Arthur Farquhar Esq Comdr of H M Bomb Acheron, for his noble support of the honor of the British flag & his successful protection of a convoy from the Mediterranean under his care, & that of Captn Vincent in the Arrow sloop, when attacked on the 3rd of Feb 1805 by two large French frigates as recorded in the London Gazette of the 13th March’. The reverse of the blade is profusely applied with gilt flowers, foliage, martial and naval trophies, mythical figures, cypher for King George III, the Royal Coat of Arms surmounted by a lion and crown, a phoenix and cherubs. The hilt consists of a diamond-knurled ivory grip, with the giltmetal pommel and back-piece in the form of a lion’s pelt. The quillon is in the form of a Roman fasces and the knuckle-guard is the club of Hercules entwined with a snake which attaches to a loop in the lion’s mouth. The langets are engraved with triangular floral pendants, below which is a rectangular plaque with a group in relief of a cannon, anchor, trident etc. The scabbard, also of ormolu, features cast and chased scenes set in medallions depicting
Hercules in combat with the Hydra and the Nemean lion, in addition to a seated Britannia presenting a victor’s laurel crown before a representation of the battle. This medallion is surrounded by naval trophies and the stern of a British warship with “Acheron 1805” on the surround. Additional cast, pierced, and chased panels on faded blue velvet backing depict martial and naval trophies. The suspension loops are in the form of serpents. There is the maker’s name ‘R Teed sword cutler Lancaster Court Strand’ engraved around the inside of the scabbard. The Patriotic Fund was founded at a meeting in Lloyd’s Coffee House at the Royal Exchange, London, in 1803. It set up a national subscription used to vote money to those wounded in action, and to the dependants of those killed, and also gave awards of merit in the form of money, silver and presentation swords. Between 1804 and 1809 the fund awarded a total of 165 swords in three ranks, £100, £50 and £40 and 66 Patriotic Fund silver vases, designed by John Flaxman and supplied by royal goldsmiths, Rundell, Bridge and Rundell.
