These Galilean binoculars have a leather-covered body and sliding sun shades for the objective lenses. The two eyepiece tubes are focused with a central wheel, but the bonoculars are not pivoted and there is no independent eyepiece adjustment. The binoculars are contained in a leather case with its strap now missing. The maker's name appears in the lid of the case, with their mark also on one draw tube. The maker's name is inscribed on each eyepiece, with the added inscription 'H.M. Britannia. Dec. 1903 1st Admiralty Prize, Steam.' across the two sun shades and 'D.B. Nicol' on one draw tube.

The ‘Britannia’ (formerly the ‘Prince of Wales’) was one of the Royal Navy’s training ships. It was moored at Dartmouth from 1869, when it had replaced a previous ‘Britannia’ as a cadet training ship. By 1903, about 65 cadets, each aged about 15, were coming aboard every four months for a training period of four terms. The teaching covered mathematics, navigation, nautical astronomy, instruments, charts, steam machinery, French, drawing, and all aspects of seamanship, with exams at the end of the second and fourth terms. Those who passed the exams became naval cadets or midshipmen, depending on their conduct and final results, with prizes such as these binoculars awarded after the final exams.