RARE AND IMPORTANT AMERICAN SILVER TRAVEL CUP BELONGING TO CAPTAIN JOHN "MAD JACK" PERCIVAL
Captain John "Mad Jack" Percival", born in Barnstable, Massachusetts, in 1779, was a celebrated officer of the U.S. Navy. The cup is a simple, slightly tapering cylinder with a sharply flared rim and three rings at base. Engraved on obverse with presentation inscription: "Presented by Percival, Capt.n U.S.N. born in Barnstable, Cape Cod, April 3d., 1779. to Joseph Infant son of John P. Healy, Esq. as a small token of the sense in which he holds his Father's professional aid to the Old Sailor. Dec.r. 12th. 1851." Engraved verso: "This Cup, with the Donor, has made three cruises to the Pacific, one to the Mediterranean, one to the Brazils, two to the West Indies, and once round the World, a distance of about 150,000 miles, has been 37 Years in service, and never refused duty." Engraved on third face with Percival's monogram over "U.S.N.", done by a different engraver. Height 3.38". Maximum diameter 3.13". Unmarked but determined by assay to be more than 900/1000 silver.

Biographical information on Captain John Percival:
John Percival's long career at sea began when he left home at age 13 to work as a cabin boy. Before the age of twenty he had twice escaped impressment, first from the Royal Navy and then from the Dutch Navy, before joining the U.S. Navy in 1799. He was discharged in 1801 but re-joined in 1809 in the lead-up to the War of 1812.

Congress awarded him a ceremonial sword to commemorate the heroics he exhibited while capturing two warships during the War. In the following years he was assigned to the Boston Navy Yard and then was transferred to the Pacific, where he was put in command of the U.S.S. Dolphin and its search for mutineers from the whaleship Globe of Nantucket. Although frequently sailing through uncharted waters, he also made port in the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii), the first naval ship to do so. He famously clashed with missionaries on the Islands but was cleared of any wrongdoing. In subsequent voyages he traveled to the West Indies, Brazil and the Mediterranean. By 1841 he had been promoted to Captain, the highest rank in the Navy at the time.

Commodore Isaac Hull, under whom Percival served, called him 'The best sailor I ever saw!' Both his superiors and his subordinates considered 'Mad Jack' fearless but competent, strict but fair -- traits that earned him his charismatic moniker.

His competency was never more apparent than in 1843, when he took on the responsibility of making the U.S.S. Constitution seaworthy again. 'Old Ironsides', which had launched in 1797 as one of the six original frigates authorized by the Naval Act of 1794 and had defeated five British warships in the War of 1812, had fallen into disrepair. The ship was beloved by the American people – there was a widespread public outcry when rumor of breaking her apart took hold – but the Navy didn't have the $70,000 estimated cost to repair the ship. Percival said he would do the work for $10,000 and was given the job.

Once she was ready to sail, Percival took the U.S.S. Constitution on her first and only circumnavigation, leaving New York in May of 1844 and traveling to Brazil, Africa, China and Mexico before making her way home again, a trip of 53,370.5 miles lasting 495 days. Notably, Percival engaged in a skirmish in Vietnam (then part of China), believed to be the first Western armed intervention in the area, and was stationed in Mexico shortly before the start of the Mexican War in 1846.

Percival was put on the reserve list in 1855, a de facto retirement. He died in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1862 and is buried in Barnstable, purportedly in full uniform.

According to the verso inscription on the silver cup, 'Mad Jack' took the cup with him on his many voyages. The cup's style matches those that were typically included in a 'necessaire de voyage', a case fitted with personal travel implements common at the time. Joseph Healy, to whom the cup was given, was the son of John P. Healy, Percival's lawyer and executor of his will. Although research is inconclusive, there is evidence that a lawyer named John P. Healy of Boston had an only son who died in infancy or childhood.

Other sources, however, particularly Allan Westcott's 1935 biography on Percival published by the United States Naval Institute, make contradictory claims that Percival had several silver cups made as gifts for his friends, smithed from silver bullion he won as prize money. An example cited in Westcott's book bears the same inscription as on the verso of this cup.

A 1988 appraisal on the cup, made by R.P. Durkin and Company of Lowell, Massachusetts, concluded there is no reason to not believe the authenticity of the inscriptions on the cup and evaluated it as an authentic relic of service on the U.S.S. Constitution.

The cup was purchased by the current consignor in London in 1980. It was on loan to the U.S.S. Constitution Museum from 1985 to 1997, during which the Durkin appraisal was performed.

Although Captain 'Mad Jack' Percival has somewhat faded into obscurity over the last century, his lifetime spanned the development of an American maritime empire, and his heroics inspired novelists Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville, who modeled characters after him. Two naval ships have also been named in his honor.

Conditions of Sale

1. CORRECTNESS OF DESCRIPTION: Robert C. Eldred Co., Inc. (hereinafter referred to as Eldred's) has exercised reasonable care to catalog and describe correctly the property to be sold, but neither Eldred's nor its consignors warrant the correctness of description, attribution, authenticity, or condition of said property. No statements shall be deemed such a warranty or representation or an assumption of liability with respect thereto, but are to be construed as opinions only. Bidders are encouraged to personally examine all property to be sold prior to the beginning of the auction.

2. Unless otherwise announced by the auctioneer at the time of sale, all bids are per lot as numbered.

3. Eldred's reserves the right to withdraw any property before the sale.

4. DETERMINATION OF HIGHEST BIDDER: The highest bidder accepted by the auctioneer shall be the buyer. In the event of any dispute between bidders, the auctioneer may determine who is the successful bidder or the auctioneer may re-offer the article in dispute and his decision shall be final.

5. REJECTION OF BIDS: The auctioneer reserves the right to reject any nominal raise or any bid or raise which, in his opinion, is not commensurate with the value of the article being offered. At his discretion, he may also reject any nominal raise or any bid that he may determine as having a detrimental effect on the item in question or the sale as a whole. Eldred's may refuse to issue bidding privileges to any person not in good credit standing with Eldred's, who has no credit standing, or to any person who is deemed by Eldred's in its sole discretion, to be disruptive of or harmful to established auction practices, either before or after the acceptance of bids or the fall of the hammer.

6. TITLE: Except as herein otherwise provided, title will pass to the highest bidder as determined by the auctioneer, and the property is thereafter at the purchaser's sole risk and responsibility.

7. PAYMENT: On title passing to the highest bidder acknowledged by the auctioneer, and subject to all the conditions set forth herein, such bidder will thereupon pay the full purchase price. Payment in full is due within 7 days of the time of sale. Any bills not paid in full within 25 days of the date of the sale will accrue interest at a rate of 1.5% per month. In addition, the purchaser may be subject to one or more of the following actions: a) Any and all legal remedies available to Eldred's and its consignors by law including without limitation the right to hold the purchaser liable for the total purchase price; b) Immediate cancellation of the sale, with Eldred's retaining as liquidated damages all payments made by the purchaser; c) Resale of the property at public auction, wherein the original purchaser shall be liable for any deficiency, costs, and Eldred's commission on both sales. At Eldred's option, payment will not be deemed to have been made in full until Eldred's has collected funds represented by checks, or in the case of bank or cashier's checks, their authenticity has been confirmed. A buyer's premium will be added to the hammer price to be paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price.

8. ORDER BIDS: Subject to these Conditions of Sale and to such terms and conditions as it may prescribe, but at no charge to the customer, Eldred's will undertake to execute all order bids submitted to it by a customer who has established credit with said company. Requests for such bidding must be given in writing with such clearness as to leave no room for misunderstanding as to the amount to be bid and must state the catalog number and the name or title of the article to be bid on. Telephone bids must be confirmed in writing or by cable. All bids are kept in strict confidence. In the event of identical bids, the earliest will take precedence (This applies to bids left directly with Eldred's NOT for online left bids). IMPORTANT ONLINE BIDDING NOTE: Because the live auction console does not differentiate between left bids and live bids, the first bid accepted by the auctioneer is the winning bid, regardless of the time the bid was originally left. Eldred's shall not be held responsible for errors or failure to execute bids. A deposit of 10% of the total amount bid is required. TELEPHONE BIDS: While the sale is in progress, bidding by telephone may be allowed by the auctioneer at his discretion. A deposit of 10% of the anticipated top bid is required. Eldred's shall not be held responsible for any failure to properly execute such a bid whether it be due to equipment failure, loss of connection, or failure to hear or understand the bidder's directions. Any advice or opinions provided by Eldred's or its employees are given strictly as a courtesy and are not a warrant of condition, attribution, authenticity, or description of said property. All bidding by telephone is solely at the risk of the bidder.

9. CONDITION: If for any cause whatsoever any article sold cannot be delivered, or cannot be delivered in as good condition as the same may have been at the time of sale, due to a failure or damage on the company's part, the sale will be cancelled, and any amount that may have been paid on account of the sale will be returned to the purchaser. EXCEPTION: Eldred's will not be held responsible for damage to picture frames or lampshades. Eldreds will not be responsible for damage by the shpping agent or his shippers after it has been delivered to such agent by Eldreds.

10. SALES TAX: All purchases are subject to the Massachusetts sales tax (currently 6.25%) unless the purchaser A) possesses a Massachusetts sales tax exemption or resale number and registers that number with the company, B) is an out-of-state vendor who meets all the requirements of Massachusetts Department of Revenue GLC 64H 1(5) and Directive 89-10 and registers with the company prior to each purchase, or C) has purchases shipped out of state directly from Eldred's by a bona fide shipping agent. Dealers, museums, etc. can apply for a Massachusetts number prior to the auction by contacting the Massachusetts Department of Corporations and Taxation, 100 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02204.

11. RESERVES: Unless advertised as an "Unreserved Auction", all sales may have items subject to reserve (an agreed upon price between the auctioneer and the consignor, below which the article will not be sold).

12. COLLECTION OF PURCHASES: Delivery or shipping arrangements must be made within seven (7) days from the close of the auction for all purchases. All items must be removed from Eldred's facilities within fourteen (14) days of the end of the auction. All items remaining after fourteen days may be subject to a $5/per item/per day storage fee. No items will be released unless storage fees are paid in full. Items remaining over thirty (30) days from the close of the auction may be sold for the buyer's account minus auction and storage fees.

13. PACKING and Shipping. In all cases the packing and shipping will be handled by an outside agent and arranged for by the purchaser. Eldreds uses the local UPS store or Pak Mail store. Eldred's will provide alternative shipping suggestions for items to large to be handled by these firms. Any other arrangements are the responsibility of the purchaser. Eldred(TM)s must be informed as to such arrangements. After payment purchases will not be kept in Eldred(TM)s possession pending delivery, for more than a week. The UPS store, Pak Mail Store or shipper of purchasers discretion will be responsible for removing them and storing them at the purchasers expense until shipment. Eldred's will not be responsible for damage or loss once the item has been received by the shipper. In the case of fragile articles, shipping will be undertaken at the sole discretion of the shipper.

14. These Conditions of Sale cannot be altered except in writing by Eldreds or by public announcement by the auctioneer at the time of the sale.

15. Bidding on any article(s) indicates acceptance of the terms set forth above.

16. These Conditions of Sale

Buyer's Premium

A 25% Buyer's Premium will be charged on successful bids. This is inclusive of the the 5% on-line auction fee. All purchases are subject to the Massachusetts sales tax (currently 6.25%) unless the purchaser possesses a Massachusetts sales tax exemption or resale number and registers that number with the company or has purchases shipped out of state (with the exception of Connecticut) directly from Eldred's by a bona fide shipping agent. Connecticut residents picking items up in our Mystic branch or having purchases shipping to their Connecticut address are responsible for CT state sales sax.

Contract

Your bid is a legally binding contract. Upon the fall of the auctioneer's hammer, title will pass to the highest bidder, and the property is thereafter at the purchaser's sole risk and responsibility. Users must register and be approved to bid before the auction. Eldred's reserves the right to deny approval for any reason. Accounts with private feedback will be approved under any circumstances.

Condition Reports

Prospective buyers should satisfy themselves by personal inspection as to the condition of each lot. Although condition reports may be given on request, such reports are statements of opinion only. Regardless of whether or not a condition report is given, all property is sold subject to Paragraph 1. of the Conditions of Sale which provides that all property is sold "as is". The absence of a condition report does not imply that the property is in good condition. All dimensions are approximate. Eldreds will make every reasonable effort to respond to all emails or phone calls relative to condition up until 24 hours before the sale. If there is no condition report on the web it does not necessarily mean that the item is without repair, refinish, restoration etc. It is the responsibility of the prospective purchaser to contact Eldreds if they are concerned about the condition of an item beyond what is listed online.

Payment

Payment is due within 7 days of the close of the auction. Payment must be in the form of bank or pre-approved personal check or money order. All checks must be drawn from a US bank in US funds. All bank checks must include complete personal information (name, address, phone number) as well as the phone number of the bank the check is drawn on. Eldred's reserves the right to hold merchandise until payment clears. Under no circumstances will Eldred's accept Paypal. Master Card and Visa are accepted provided that the total invoice amount is $5,000 USD or less and the credit card billing address is tied to a valid US zip code. International credit cards are NOT accepted under any circumstances.

Shipping

We require prompt payment and removal of your purchases as stated in Paragraph 12 of the Conditions of Sale. If you plan to pick up your purchases, please call ahead and we'll make every effort to have your items ready. Our physical address is 1483 Route 6A, East Dennis, MA 02641.

Unfortunately it is not possible to provide shipping quotes until the invoice had been paid in full.

We provide limited shipping services directly from our gallery, however eligibility is based on an item's dimensions. Shipments from our gallery may take four to six weeks. We pack and ship small items, small paintings and rugs. Larger items will be transferred to an alternative shipping agent upon your approval. Our staff can assist you with determining if your items qualify. If we are unable to accommodate you, we will provide a list of alternative shipping agents. Allow 7 to 10 business days for checks to clear our bank prior to packing and shipping, or releasing purchases to your chosen shipping agent. You will be charged for the shipping or carrier fees, packing/handling fees, and the required insurance. There is a minimum handling charge of $15.00 for all shipments. Depending on the carrier, insurance limits may exist (ie: Federal Express will only insure up to $500). Shipping estimates can be given only AFTER we receive your payment and form.

COLLECTION OF PURCHASES: Delivery or shipping arrangements must be made within seven (7) days from the close of the auction for all purchases. All items must be removed from Eldred's facilities within fourteen (14) days of the end of the auction. All items remaining after fourteen days may be subject to a $5/per item/per day storage fee. No items will be released unless storage fees are paid in full. Items remaining over thirty (30) days from the close of the auction may be sold for the buyer's account minus auction and storage fees.

Absentee Bids

Because of the manner in which our online system processes and transmits left bids, Eldred's does not receive bid information until the exact moment of sale. Because the bidding console does not differentiate between left bids and live bids, the first bid accepted by the auctioneer is the winning bid, regardless of the time the bid was originally left.