This presentation sword was presented by the Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund to Robert Torin, the Captain of the Honourable East India Company’s ship “The Coutts.” Torin’s ship was part of the British East Indiamen under the command of Commodore Nathaniel Dance which defeated a French fleet of war off Pulau Aur, in the South China Sea about 70km off the east coast of the Malay Peninsula on 15 February 1804. For their action in saving the convoy and valuable cargo of tea, silk and porcelain, each captain was rewarded with a sword of £50 value by the Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund. Adorned with traditional British icons and mythological symbols, these were the only swords which Lloyd’s presented to Merchant Navy officers. They are unique in having the ship’s name and date engraved on the scabbard.
