Owned by the Phipps Hornby family. The hilt consists of a gilt lion's-head pommel, white fish-skin grip bound with three gilt wires. It has a straight cross-bar with acorn ends, and on the obverse in the centre a crown and foul anchor with laurel wreath surround. There is a spring catch on the hilt (at the cross-piece) to prevent the dirk falling out of the scabbard. The blade is straight and flat-backed. The scabbard is black leather with two rings on the top locket for attaching to slings of belt. It is mounted in a glazed display case. The case's typed label reads: 'The almost total erasure of the engraving on the blade is accounted for by the circumstance that Adm Phipps H, then recently promoted Sub-Lt, suffered shipwreck while returning from the West Indies to England. His dirk, along with other of his possessions, remained for some time at the bottom of the sea before being salvaged'.
The Phipps Hornby Collection was worn in turn by the donor's father, Admiral R.S. Phipps Hornby CMG (for his career see WPN1595) and Commander W.M. Phipps Hornby RN (donor). It was acquired with paintings (PR1988-18 to 85), manuscripts/pr.books (MS88/061) and photo albums (HP1988/49); in addition to swords, gun models, medals (W88/21.1 to .11) and ship crests (W88-22.12-21).