Civil court dress coat belonging to arctic explorer Sir John Franklin (1786–1847), worn while Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania). Double-breasted tailcoat of blue wool with ten silver buttons arranged in pairs. The sleeves are gathered at the shoulders and terminate in a mariner’s cuff of red wool, embroidered in silver with a strip above of acorns and oak leaves. The slash is of blue wool, heavily embroidered with acorns and oak leaves and has three small silver buttons of the above pattern. The coat is entirely lined with cream silk twill. The collar is interlined and quilted in a guilloche pattern. The yoke and breast are padded and quilted in a series of lines and arcs.

There is a central back vent and the tails are edged with white wool to give the effect of a turn back. There are two badges at the base of the tails, both on a ground of red wool. They are embroidered in silver thread and feature a crossed sword and baton on a silver ground circled by laurel leaves, and, below, a crown of red velvet and gold and silver embroidery. The pocket bags are of white linen and are accessed thorough the non-working sword pleats.