Mars and Neptune Trust

Nadeau’s Auction Gallery presents the first fundraising auction for Mars & Neptune Trust. The trust’s purpose is to educate the public about the military and naval forces of 18th century North America. The auction’s 182 lots are primarily antique weapons and both decorative and fine art from the 18th and 19th centuries.

A cannon found on a sunken Confederate gunboat during the American Civil War is the lot with the highest estimated value. The cannon was originally made in Pittsburg as part of a two-year shipment of iron cannons produced by McClurg & Company on a U.S. Army contract. “The South did not produce many working cannons,” says the Civil War Academy. “The cannons they had were taken, and then [retrofitted] by the Confederates.”

Another cannon available in this auction is an 1835 US bronze cannon. It was produced by the N. P. Ames Company in Massachusetts under contract by the US Army. At this time, the army was transitioning away from iron and moving towards bronze. This cannon was part of the company’s first shipment in 1837.

Beyond artillery, the auction also offers fine art. This includes a lot with two portraits of British Army officers, Coote and Boyd Manningham. The portraits were most likely completed at the same time and tell the story of two brothers with different fates. Coote stood for his portrait right before he left for Portugal, and Boyd’s portrait was a posthumous tribute. You can view each lot and register to bid on Bidsquare.