17th and 18th Century Napoleonic-Era ship models are considered some of the finest ship models ever made, and sales results at auctions around the world in recent years have borne this out. They were made by professional dockyard model makers employed by the governments of Britain and France. Models were also built by the shipwrights themselves, and by actual sailors, often during long periods of captivity. As such they are extremely accurate and often are the only source of detailed information on ships from that time. However, over the last 30 years, the astounding miniature models of 58-year old Lloyd McCaffery have been recognized as the equal of his 18th century predecessors and arguably some of the finest miniaturist works of the 20th/21st century. The sale of his 3 1/2”model of the 100-gun ship of the line, Prince of 1670, for $100,000 in 1993, set a world record at the time. Since then he has continued to astonish collectors and connoisseurs with the increasing beauty and complexity of his creations. This model of the 100-gun ship Britannia of 1682 in the artist’s own words is simply “the ultimate expression of what a ship model can be.”

Britannia of 1682 was the only 100-gun first rate ship built by the British as part of a 30 ship program begun in 1677. Built by Sir Phineas Pett, she was Lord Russell’s Flagship at the Battle of Barfleur in 1692.The scale of the model is 16’ = 1”, and measures 14 ½” overall. It is constructed of pearwood and applewood with holly decking laid “sprung in” tapering towards bow and stern (straight run deck planking was not used until 1800’s). The masts and yards are lancewood, the grates and carvings are boxwood.

The rigging is specially made of nickel-chromium wire rigging with the painted glassine flags lashed to the flag poles as they were before the introduction of halyards. The boxwood taffrail carving on the stern measures only 1 ½” yet contains six figures and two horses, and various decorative elements. King Charles II, Samuel Pepys and other figures are placed on the model, and a white cat is seen below decks. The port side is cut away to permit a view of the complexity of the ship’s design and construction.