Salver presented to Captain James Clarke of the ship 'Marco Polo'.

Circular silver salver on three pierced and scrolled feet, with a pierced and shaped rim. Engraved with scrolling foliage and flowers surrounding an inscription: 'PRESENTED TO CAPTAIN JAMES CLARKE OF THE "MARCO POLO" BY HIS PASSENGERS ON A VOYAGE FROM MELBOURNE TO LIVERPOOL IN THE HOPE THAT IT MAY SOMETIMES REMIND HIM OF THE FRIENDS FROM WHOM HE IS NOW PARTED. LIVERPOOL OCTOBER XX MDCCCLV'.
'J. Mayer silversmith Liverpool' is struck on the base.

'Marco Polo' was a wooden clipper-type cargo ship, built by James Smith at St John, New Brunswick in 1851, length 184 feet and tonnage 1625. In June 1852 she was bought by James Baines of Liverpool for the Black Ball Line of Australian Packets, and rebuilt to be used in the passenger trade. In 1852 under the command of Captain James Nicol Forbes, she made the voyage from Liverpool to Port Phillips Heads in 76 days, and, after three weeks, returned to London in another 76 days (the first recorded round voyage in less than six months). In 1861 she hit an iceberg south of Cape Horn and arrived in Valparaiso leaking badly. In 1867 after a voyage from Melbourne to Liverpool in 76 days she failed to pass the passenger survey and was put on the general cargo trade. In 1871 she was sold to Wilson & Blain of South Shields and worked in the coal and timber trade. She was reduced to barque rig, and after being sold twice, sprang a leak and was beached near Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, where a later gale broke her up (see also a rigged model of the 'Marco Polo', SLR0067).