Sovereign of the Seas Wooden Model Ship

Description

The HMS Sovereign of the Seas, launched on October 13, 1637, was the most lavishly built and decorated British ship up to this point. King Charles I levied a special tax, called ‘Ship Money,’ to make it possible. He wanted the ship to revive an obsolete custom of British kings being seen as ‘lords of the seas’ by other countries.

This ship was a three-decker warship decorated with gilded carvings against a black background over the entire length and breadth of her body. It was known by the Dutch as the ‘Golden Devil.’ She held 102 bronze cannons, making her the most dominantly armed vessel in the world. However, the cost of building her helped produce the financial crisis that triggered the English Civil War. She served King and country from 1638 to 1697, when vanquished by fire while in retirement at Chatham harbor. British Naval tradition has kept the ship’s name afloat in her honor ever since.

This majestic, handmade replica of Sovereign of the Seas is 54 cm wide, 145 cm long and 122 cm high. Her price is $2,400 USD.