An almost square piece of cooper sheet with a roughly square hole cut out of the centre from the 1845 Northwest Passage Expedition led by Sir John Franklin. The sheet's top and bottom edges are bent over and there are nail holes along the bottom edge. The righthand edge has two holes with a piece of twine threaded through. The corners are cut at an angle.

The piece of copper was recovered by the US expedition under Lieutenant Frederick Schwatka between 1878-1880. It is described as 'Item 13. Copper found at Cape Maria Louisa [brass sheathing was crossed through]' in the 1881 catalogue of items that he sent back to Britain in 1881 [TNA, ADM 1/6600].

Schwatka's expedition visited Cape Maria Louisa twice: on the way to Cape Felix in mid June 1879 and then around 12 July on the return trip. None of the accounts mention retrieving copper from this area. However, Gilder does record at the Erebus Bay 'boat place' 'The boat, judging from the relics that we found, was a very heavy one and copper bottomed; for the kettles that we saw in use among the Netchilliks were made of sheet copper that they said came from this and the other boats in Erebus Bay.' [Gilder, page 109].

Painted on the item in white letters is 'PIECE OF COPPER 2' indicating that it was displayed in the Royal Naval Museum, Greenwich, 'Case 11, No. 2. Piece of copper'. It was also in Display 15 at the Royal Naval Exhibition at Chelsea in 1891. A label says 'From Cape Maria Louisa'.