You Would Have To Be Crackers To Bid On This.....

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sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,621
44,832
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
So, one could also say they're auctioning off Sea Biscuit.
The thing is, Jay, that ossified thing is BROKEN! Doesn't a crumb or two of it's sacred mass fall off every time it's handled? Lastly, does it come with the original weevils?
Seriously, how do you authenticate that this very biscuit was at the Battle of Trafalgar, and is not some impostor biscuit? Did Lord Nelson autograph it?

 

didache

Can't Leave
Feb 11, 2017
480
8
London, England
I suspect (reading the article) that the Trafalgar medal is of far more interest to a collector. The biscuit is just (you might say) a few crumbs to attract bidders.
Of more interest to me is a pipe rack I own which was carved from timbers of HMS Victory (Nelson's flagship). It isn't especially rare - quite a lot of them were made in the early 20th C. in order to raise money for the Victory's restoration. Even so it's a nice piece of history. Unfortunately, it didn't come with a biscuit :D
Mike

 

jaytex1969

Lifer
Jun 6, 2017
9,517
50,591
Here
I may have to toss in a bid. Grub has been a bit sparse on the Frigate lately...
pyramid-584x600.jpg

jay-roger.jpg


 

saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,194
5,097
Seems like that biscuit is overpriced. I'm with sablebrush on the authenticating queries.
People come to have a drink at your house after some other event, and you are the proud owner of this biscuit. What would you say to introduce the object to your guests? "I know you won't believe this but I just so happen to have a 150 y/o biscuit from a famous sea battle." OR whip it at the head of one of the guests and inform him he's just gotten chucked by an ancient biscuit? OR, throw it down on the carpet full force and pull out some nifty looking vacuum cleaner and chortle about how your it can clean anything up, though as you only had the one biscuit the cleaning was never tested?

 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,699
16,205
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
The biscuit is far rarer than the medal, hundreds of those are kicking around (eBay has one for $300.00). The biscuit is a one of a kind to be on the market. To a collector of that time period, particularly with a Nelson connection, it is worth a few thousand American if not double that. Napoleonic War collectors will be bidding, Nelson collectors, naval history collectors, militaria collectors, the biscuit transcends many areas of collecting. Three thousand pounds isn't a particularly large amount of money. I bet there will be a considerable amount of interest and bidding.

 

mawnansmiff

Lifer
Oct 14, 2015
7,385
7,295
Sunny Cornwall, UK.
All I can say is "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche".....and yes, Warren has hit it on the nail......I suspect collectors of that period will go potty over this one.
Me? Nah, I'll spend my spare pennies on my newly found hobby of collecting American made pocket watches, particularly Railroad Grade watches.....they are so much more attractive :puffy:
Regards,
Jay.

 

saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,194
5,097
I wanna know when this damn biscuit goes on the block.

I wanna know who the winning bidder is and how much he paid for a fashioned pieced of flour with water.

I wanna know what he plans on doing with the silly thing.

I mean, how much mileage can you get for being the owner of an antique biscuit? If someone pulled me aside and showed it to me I would not be struck with awe.

And when the inevitable happens, that is, when the biscuit gets to be a stolen biscuit, what is one's recourse?

Can you go to the police and ask for their help in recovering a stolen biscuit? I think not. They tend to be a cynical lot. They'd probably throw the one filling such a complaint in the cooler for an overnight adjustment.

Seems to me that this biscuit ownership is fraught with peril.

I urge due and undue caution.

 

saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,194
5,097
Jay, good questions:
I like to think with a mixture of black humor and the absurd, and this biscuit has roused the latter.
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes, what about eating the biscuit? Playing that out didn't occur to me as it spoils the fun. If eaten, no longer a biscuit but an eaten biscuit. While certain consequences would devolve from the eating, that's the end of that story. No, I think whatever value that can be extracted is with the biscuit uneaten, the money paid for it and whatever actions are attendant on the sold biscuit and its proud new owner.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,565
27,066
Carmel Valley, CA
Oh, my! Is that mold, or bloom? Were the tin seals in tact??
How was it authenticated- 'cause wasn't Fletcher a fictional character in Mutiny on the Bounty??
_101071760_trafalgarbiscuit.jpg


 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,699
16,205
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
Masters Mate Fletcher Cristian, HMS Bounty mutineer, fictitious? Hardly! The movie(s) may be a bit far fetched but, they are based on truth. Captain Bligh's trip in the wee ship's boat is fascinating. Christian's heirs and those of some the other mutineers still live on Pitcairn Island.

 
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