Description:

USS SEAWOLF LAUNCH CHRISTENING BOTTLE
An historic ship launching relic, the silver beribboned and engraved cage which held a bottle of champagne used to christen the USS SEAWOLF, the second nuclear powered submarine launched on July 21, 1955. The cage bears multiple star-shaped cut-outs to permit the champagne from the broken bottle within to splash out, and several strands of red, white and blue ribbon are affixed at top. The bottom of the cage has several screws which permitted the bottle (and broken remains) to be removed from the cage. The items is engraved at top: "U.S.S. SEAWOLF Launched July 21st 1955 Sponsored by Mrs. W. Sterling Cole Electric Boat Division Electric Boat Division General Dynamics Corporation Groton, Connecticut". Of course the cage shows dents from where it struck the hull of the vessel. Also present is the fitted oak presentation case metal descriptive plaque. A great relic! The USS SEAWOLF (SSN-575) had a very distinguished career. It followed the USS NAUTILUS as America's second nuclear submarine, and was the only U.S. submarine built with a liquid metal cooled (sodium) nuclear reactor. Although fully armed, Seawolf, like the first nuclear submarine, Nautilus, was primarily an experimental vessel. Seawolf was originally thought of publicly as a 'hunter-killer' sub, but in fact was intended to be a one-off test platform for the LMSR(SG2) reactor and future sonar platforms. Her future uses, after the reactor plant was replaced with a light water system, included covert operations in foreign waters. The vessel served until Mar. 30, 1987.

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September 9, 2014 11:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
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$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $3,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000