A Copeland dinner plate from the Arctic Expediiton of HMS Alert in 1875/1876, with a transfer printed design. With printed and impressed marks to the reverse including the ships name. 26.5cms diameter *HMS Alert was a 17-gun wooden screw sloop of the Cruizer class of the Royal Navy, launched in 1856 and broken up in 1894. She was the eleventh ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name (or a variant of it), and was noted for her Arctic exploration work; in 1876 she reached a record latitude of 82° North. Alert briefly served with the US Navy, and ended her career with the Canadian Marine Service as a lighthouse tender and buoy ship. The British Arctic Expedition 1875-1876, led by Sir George Strong Nares, was arranged by the Admiralty in an attempt to reach the North Pole by Smith Sound and to explore the coasts of Greenland and adjacent lands. Sailing from Portsmouth on 29 May 1875 in two ships, HMS Alert (Captained by George Nares) and HMS Discovery (Captained by Henry Stephenson), with a combined crew of 120 men. They left amid jubilation and deafening cheers, as Nares was to record ‘No one on board our two ships can ever forget the farewell given to the discovery vessels on that occasion’. Queen Victoria had sent a telegram wishing them success and safety as well as congratulating them on their bravery. Britain viewed this as the country’s triumphant return to exploration after the disasters of the Franklin expedition. Condition: generally good for it's age, a few grazes to the rim and some discolouration in places. Category: Ceramics & Porcelain/European Estimate: 400-600 GBP