238 - A rectangular silver and vermeil box with a scalloped shape, richly decorated with foliage; the lid forms a cartouche bearing the inscription in English: "Presented to Capt. Ponthier, commander of the Royal French Navy. STEAM SHIP CAMELION. by the Shipping Association of the Port of Dartmouth and the Owners of the ENGLISH SCHOONER MERMAID, as a trifling acknowledgment of his generous conduct in gratuitously assisting her into Toulon when she was totally dismasted off that port on January 17, 1842.” which we can translate into French as: “ Presented to Captain Ponthier, commander of the Royal French Navy steamship Camelion, by the Dartmouth Port Shipowners’ Association and the owners of the ENGLISH SCHOONER MERMAID, as a humble token of gratitude for his generous conduct in graciously assisting her to Toulon, when she was completely dismasted off that port on January 17, 1842. ”, England, 19th century, Master Goldsmith Nathaniel MILLS (1746–1843), Dimensions: 2.8 x 9.8 x 7 cm

A rectangular silver and vermeil box with a scalloped shape, richly decorated with foliage; the lid forms a cartouche bearing the inscription in English: "Presented to Capt. Ponthier, commander of the Royal French Navy. STEAM SHIP CAMELION. by the Shipping Association of the Port of Dartmouth and the Owners of the ENGLISH SCHOONER MERMAID, as a trifling acknowledgment of his generous conduct in gratuitously assisting her into Toulon when she was totally dismasted off that port on January 17, 1842.” which we can translate into French as: “ Presented to Captain Ponthier, commander of the Royal French Navy steamship Camelion, by the Dartmouth Port Shipowners’ Association and the owners of the ENGLISH SCHOONER MERMAID, as a humble token of gratitude for his generous conduct in graciously assisting her to Toulon, when she was completely dismasted off that port on January 17, 1842. ”, England, 19th century, Master Goldsmith Nathaniel MILLS (1746–1843), Dimensions: 2.8 x 9.8 x 7 cm History: On January 17, 1842, an English merchant schooner named the Mermaid, originating from the port of Dartmouth (Devon, England), found itself caught in a violent storm off the French coast. The ship sustained heavy damage and was completely dismasted, leaving it adrift, unable to maneuver, and in grave danger of sinking. French Captain Ponthier, commanding the Royal French Navy’s steam warship Le Caméléon (Steam Ship Camelion), came across the distressed schooner. Instead of leaving it to its fate or demanding substantial salvage fees, Captain Ponthier demonstrated great nobility: he voluntarily and without charge towed the English schooner to safety in the harbor of Toulon. The Dartmouth Shipowners’ Association, wishing to honor a commander of the French Royal Navy, commissioned the prestigious workshop of Nathaniel Mills in Birmingham, recognized at the time as the finest silversmith in the entire United Kingdom.