VINTAGE (1960S) ROYAL MAIL MOTOR VESSEL STIRLING CASTLE OCEAN LINER PEWTER TANKARD PLUS TWO EMESS ENGLAND AND SERANCO SOUTH AFRICA PEWTER TANKARDS

THREE HISTORICAL PEWTER TANKARDS. FIRST A VERY RARE RMMV (ROYAL MAIL MOTOR VEHICLE) STIRLING CASTLE OCEAN LINER (1936-1965) PEWTER TANKARD MADE IN ENGLAND. IT HAS A MAP OF THE WORLD ENGRAVED ON THE SIDES AND INTERESTINGLY STILL SHOWS CEYLON IN STEAD OF SRI LANKA ON IT. I CANNOT FIND ANOTHER LIKE IT ONLINE.

THEN WE HAVE AN EMESS PEWTER TANKARD WITH AN SCROLLIKE DESIGNED HANDLE. IT IS PERSONALISED ENGRAVED TO A ARH WITH DATE 20.11.66.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST A SERANCO SOUTH AFRICA PEWTER TANKARD. SERANCO OFTEN MADE PEWTER ITEMS FOR THE OLD SOUTH AFRICAN RAILWAYS. ALSO CIRCA 1960S.
 
MARKINGS:
TANKARD 1 (1966): ON BOTTOM PLATE EMESS LEAD FREE PEWTER AND ON SIDE ENGRAVED A.R.H. 20.11.66 from The Levers
EMESS WAS A TRADE NAME USED BY A SILVERWARE MANUFACTURER IN ENGLAND UNTIL THE 1960S.  A SOUTH AFRICAN MANUFACTURER USED THE TRADE NAME EM-ESS IN THE 1970S BUT THE NAME EM-ESS IS HYPHENATED.

TANKARD 2 (1961-1994): ON BOTTOM SERANCO PEWTER FREE OF LEAD
SERANCO WAS A VINTAGE SOUTH AFRICAN PRODUCER OF SILVERWARE. I SAW ITEMS THAT HAD MORE DETAIL ON THE MARKINGS: SERANCO MANUFACTURED IN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA / VERVAARDIG IN DIE REPUBLIEK VAN SUID AFRICA. THIS GIVES US ALSO A BASIC TIMEFRAME OF 1961 1994. SOME OF THEIR SILVERWARE WAS SPECIFICALLY MADE FOR THE OLD SOUTH AFRICAN PARLIAMENT AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN RAILWAYS AND RECEIVED SPECIAL EXTRA MARKINGS TO INDICATE THAT.

TANKARD 3 (1936-1965) : ON BOTTOM ENGLISH PEWTER MADE IN ENGLAND AND ENGRAVED ON HANDLE R.M.M.V. STIRLING CASTLE
RMMV (Royal Mail Motor Vessel) Stirling Castle was a British ocean liner of the Union-Castle Line built by Harland & Wolff in Belfast for the Southampton to South Africa mail service. She was launched on 15 August 1935 and was the first of two identical sister ships, being joined a few months later by the Athlone Castle.On the side is an engraved map of the world with interestingly still has Ceylon in stead of Sri Lanka on it. Sri Lanka was named 'Sri Lanka' in 1972. There was a strong nationalist bloc who wanted to change the name of the country from 'Ceylon' to 'Sri Lanka'. The reason they gave was, Sri Lanka was an ancient name of the island.
The Stirling Castle was built by Harland and Wolff Ltd for the Union-Castle Lines South African Royal Mail service. She left Southampton on her maiden voyage on

7 February 1936. In August of that year she set a new record for the route, reaching Table Bay in 13 days 9 hours, beating the previous record of 14 days, 18 hours, and 57 minutes SS Scot had set in 1893.
During World War II the Stirling Castle was used as a troopship. She came through the war unscathed after steaming some 505,000 miles and carrying 128,000 personnel. She was released from government service in 1946. In 1946, she sailed from Southampton on 31 August for Australia arriving at Fremantle on 28 September. Her builders then refitted her and she resumed passenger service in 1947.
When the mail service was accelerated in 1965 the Stirling Castle and her sisters had insufficient speed to maintain the new schedule. They were replaced by two new fast cargo ships (the new schedule required only seven ships rather than eight) and Stirling Castle was withdrawn from service upon arrival at Southampton on 30 November 1965.
 
Size: ALL AROUND 12CM WIDE 12CM HIGH
 
CONDITION: ONE OR TWO MINOR DENTS BUT STILL IN GOOD VINTAGE CONDITION