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British Navy


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Cj.... Try looking in 'Ebay' .  I have noticed that 'the Nelson Pussers Rum Decanters' some times come up for sale with a British email address. But the bottle will be empty and I dont think you will have time for mailings etc. or just try a yacht chandlery(but will be expensive,but full) or ask around in the liquor stores.

If you find one in 'Ebay' that is located in the states, you could order it while in England but have it sent empty to your upcoming USA address.Then fill it with Pussers Rum.

There are three versions of the decanter.

A..The original decanter with Nelson on the side.Issued around 1984.  

B..The same Decanter but designed for the USA market but with John Paul Jones and American Naval Battles pictured on the sides. This one was (is) only available in the states, I dont think you will find a full bottle.but good for collecting and filling with Pussers.

C..The Jim Beam collectors bottle sold one year at their annual conference of Jim Beam Bottle Collectors, Only one thousand made. Similar to John Paul Jones Decanter but with Jim Beam wording on the stopper, I have seen these sell up in the hundreds of dollars (dry).

 

Also available by going on a trip to Tortola BVI and going to the various 'Pussers Stores & Restaurants'. or  just go to the 'Pussers Store' in St Thomas.

For  'Ebay' ......   www.ebay.com/rum/ collectables

Good luck with the packing ! Keep Rumsearching !

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  • 1 year later...

ceramics.jpg

I hope the above image works... I am an old-time mainframe guy, not a webmeister!

Anyway, if it did work, you should be seeing an image of the Pusser's ceramics that I've got. John is aware of at least one version I don't have, but it appears I may have some he is unaware of.

You'll notice one in the back that might be called a "Jug." It has a white ensign with the words "British Navy Pusser's Rum" on the front, a picture of "Jolly Jack Tar" on one side, a marking "Hand Cast in Britain" surrounding an anchor under the handle on the other side and Nelson's flag hoist prior to Trafalgar on the back. Atop the front label is a red wax cartouche of a sailing ship with the legend "Pusser's Limited - Purveyors of Royal Navy Rum." The jug is 1.75 liters.

The picture also has two "flagons" that have the same front as the jug, a portrait of Nelson on one side, a picture of Britannia with the legend "Rule Britannia - Britons Never Shall Be Slaves" on the other side and a series of toasts on the back. The stopper is surmounted by a picture of the HMS Victory and the legens "HMS Victory - Trafalgar 1805." The flask without a stopper is actually still sealed with a red wax seal of an anchor.

Off to the left you'll notice a hip flask (would you actually carry a ceramic flask at your hip?). The flask has the standard Pusser's front and has a "Splice the Main Brace" hoist and the toasts on the back.

On the right you'll see "miniatures" of the jug and flagon. The jug miniature lacks Jack Tar, Nelson's flag hoist and the "hand cast" marking, instead having a short bit of text about Pusser's. The jug miniature is unopened and I must have bought it out of state, though I can't remember where. You see, in Oklahoma, miniatures filled with liquor are considered an enticement to underage drinking and are thus illegal. The only way we can get miniatures are if the company attaches or boxes an unfilled miniature with one of their regular bottles. That is how I got the flagon miniature, unfilled and attached to a regular bottle of Pusser's.

I hope the image got through... but if not, then maybe the descriptions can help.

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Sorry about my mixed-up terminology in the last post. After some research, the thing I called a "jug" has a handle and can probably be properly called a "flagon" while the thing I called a "flagon" can perhaps best be called a "Ship's Decanter" --- though there may be even better names for each.

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Jim Beam sold the rights to Pussers last year, It is now imported by Shaw Ross who is owned by Southern Wines & Spirits. I was told that by thier local rep that they are still making the decanters and they will be available again very soon. It would take a few months while the changes took effect. The decanters are already in thier new catalog without prices though.

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Following quoted from John Reekie on the Royal Navy Flagons topic:

<<

Hello Lee.... there are a few other 'Pussers Rum' containers that I have or are aware of. in the line of Jugs. There is a 1.75 lt jug, a 1lt jug ( which I think is yours) and a .750 lt jug that used to be packaged with a .750 bottle of Pussers rum. This was also sold seperately at some time.

To follow through get hold of a "Wade" pottery collectables catalogue through an antique dealer. There one would find the various resale values of the various jugs, decanters, water jugs etc . also the various Jim bean Collectable special editions of the Jugs and Decanters. .......The Hip Flask has also been utilised with many different custom add on lettering or graphics.(At the time of the second firing) ie Americas Cup...Victory... I have five flasks with different lettering.

>>

Actually, I've got both the 1.75 and .750 liter flagons or jugs. I ran across the .750 liter yesterday and put it up with the rest of the collection. I also tried changing my picture above, but it seems like my old computer ability didn't come through (YET) and I didn't want to post a repetitive picture. The .750 liter flagon is generally similar to the 1.75 in the picture and described above, except that it only has front and back decorations. The front has the standard Pusser's logo with a white ensign, but the 1.0 liter also has "Nelson's Blood" in an arch surmounting the logo. The back decoration concerns Drake's voyage. The stopper decoration is just an anchor.

I wish the terminlogy for the containers was a bit more precise. RN personnel often refer to the rum containers as "jars" --- even though the dictionary definition says they are "wide-mouthed" and doesn't mention a handle. The standard conainer aboard ship was usually a demijohn, which is fairly precise... "a large narrow necked bottle usually contained in wickerwork." The Pusser's containers with the handle might be called a flagon, since it has a handle, though flagons usually have lids rather than stoppers and often are on pedestals. I think jug is the closest to the handled container, since a jug is "Large, deep earthenware or glass container with a narrow mouth and handle."

So, it looks like they at least have the following styles/sizes

Earthenware:

Jug: 1.75 liter, 1.0 liter (per John), 750 milliliter, 50 milliliter

Ship's Decanter: 1 liter, 50 milliliter

Flask: 200 milliliter

Crystal:

Ships Decanter (per John, size unknown)

and it looks like there are various decorations available, particularly on the ship's decanter and flask.

I've only got the standard British versions I listed earlier, but I've already tracked down a couple of copies of the U.S. ship's decanter with John Paul Jones. With luck, I'll add one to my collection soon. Thanks John Reekie! The crystal ship's decanter, 1 liter jug and various flasks, I can't get a lead on... but it sounds like the crystal ship's decanter was out of my league anyway!

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