A Union Jack flown at the Battle of Trafalgar – Admiral Lord Nelson’s tragic, triumphant final act – has auctioned in London for over £1 million this week.
The war banner was flown on the ship HMS Spartiate, which was sailed into the heart of the melee as a British fleet defeated a combined French and Spanish force in one of the most important naval battles in British history.
Admiral Lord Nelson, mastermind of the victory, was shot and killed at the climax of the battle.
Nelson’s death at the height of the fighting gave a tragic, legendary narrative to the Battle of Trafalgar.
The flag was sold at Christie’s in London yesterday, July 1, and was expected to realise between £500,000 and £800,000.
The hammer finally fell at £1,068,500.
The 2.3-metre by 3.5-metre flag, probably hand altered by the ship’s crew to add the saltire of St Patrick, was a vital part of Nelson’s Trafalgar plan.
On October 21, 1805 he took the unorthodox decision to sale his fleet directly at and through his opponent’s line. With close-quarters combat – in all its bloody chaos – expected, he needed his crews to know who was a friend and who an enemy.
Union Jacks were flown high and proud, often all over the vessels.
HMS Spartiate was heavily involved in fighting. Damage is clearly visible on the flag, and further evidence of shrapnel was found under the microscope. Image courtesy of Christie’s.
And the Spartiate’s example is evidence of the ferocity of a conflict that helped cement British naval dominance through the next century.
Christie’s said: “Microscopic analysis has revealed shards of cannonball shrapnel embedded in the flag’s woven cloth, especially around the half-moon-shaped hole at the edge, which is likely the ‘footprint’ from a round. Similarly, surviving wooden splinters corroborate the details of the damage Spartiate sustained in combat.”
The Napoleonic Wars are a fertile ground for collectors, and the big personalities of the era add considerable value to items.
Admiral Lord Nelson, Britain’s foremost naval hero, the Duke of Wellington, and – perhaps most of all – Napoleon each support vibrant and valuable collector’s scenes.
This banner from the Duke of Wellington’s funeral was recently listed for sale at a British collectibles dealer. Alongside Nelson, Wellington and Napoleon are also highly collectible. Image courtesy of Paul Fraser Collectibles.
Trafalgar flags are rare and valuable.
Fragment’s from the banner on Nelson’s own ship, Victory, were auctioned for £297,000 in 2018.
This flag had previously auctioned for £396,800 in 2009.
The most valuable battle flag ever sold is a Stars and Stripes from the United States Revolutionary War that was auctioned for £12.3 million in 2006.
Last month, a Stars and Stripes flown during the D-Day Landings made over $80,000 at auction.
