No one needs me to retell the story of the Royal Navy of Britain. The ward room plate belonged to the officers mess on a Royal Navy Ship.
The cup shows a British Admiralty Naval Badge in green glaze used in the Chief Petty Officers Mess in the 1920’s. Apparently this
Naval Badge was proofed in the 1600s and still in use today. It Consists of a Royal Crown with a base of precious jewels and stones with the top depicting sails with pennants and laurels . The supposed legend behind this British Naval Badge is that it represents the diminutive British Royal Navy when it went up against a much superior invading Spanish Armada in 1588. The rear view of the ships represents the much larger Spanish ships and fleet, while the single sails represent the smaller British ships sailing between them.
I had no idea where this cup came from for many years until I recently visited an internet site that sold naval memorabilia and saw the badge on a plate with an explanation of its origin.
