Piece of Old Frigate Constellation

This ring is made from oak - oak from one of the first American frigates of all time. The loose collection of ships that constituted the Continental navy during the Revolutionary War was almost immediately disbanded due to costs and lack of foreign interests. The swarms of pirates lurking offshore as well as constant tensions with both Britain and France very quickly revealed the shortsightedness of this plan. The most well-known early frigate would almost certainly be “Old Ironsides,” the USS Constitution. However, the USS Constellation, a 38-gun, 3 masted frigate was constructed and launched the same year. The wood for this ring is from the original, which was broken up in 1853. The wood was provided by a customer who told me it came from a decommissioned museum.