"England expects every man to do his duty."

Tonight, in every corner of the world, British Naval officers will raise a toast:

“To the Immortal Memory of Lord Nelson and those who fell with him.”

Because today, on October 21, we celebrate Trafalgar Day.

It marks the anniversary of the greatest battle in British naval history. And the death of its greatest hero, Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758 - 1805).

There is an object in my collection that was right there to witness both.

It is an absolutely remarkable piece of history, and one which will surely stir the soul of every collector.

An incredible Naval relic.

This is an original fragment from one of the most famous flags in British history.

The Union Jack that flew from HMS Victory during the Battle of Trafalgar.

The memory of that battle is held within these very fibres.

And they evoke the spirit of Horatio Nelson himself, who gave his life to protect his nation and everything the flag represents.

If history is your passion, this is as close as you will ever come to witnessing the Battle of Trafalgar for yourself.

When Nelson used the Victory's flags to issue his legendary rallying cry to the British fleet:

"England expects that every man will do his duty".

This flag was flying right there proudly beside them.

And when his body was lowered into the ground at St Paul's Cathedral, as the nation mourned the loss of its greatest hero...

This flag was draped over his casket.

This section of the flag measures approximately 2 inches by 2.5 inches.

It is comprised of red and blue hand-woven woollen bunting, matching the traditional material and colour of British naval flags from the period.

Only a handful of these rare remnants survive today.

They are valuable heirlooms passed down by naval families for generations. They have crossed the block at the world's biggest auction houses. And they are treasures protected within the finest museums.

As with any major historical artefact such as this, the value lies within its provenance. And in the case of this piece, it is undeniable.

Because the history of this item can be closely traced from the Battle of Trafalgar to the present day.

The history of the flag.

During the Battle of Trafalgar the HMS Victory flew three battle ensigns: two Union Jack flags and a St George's flag.

Following the battle, these flags were returned to England with the ship and Admiral Nelson's body, which was stored in a barrel of rum.

Nelson was granted a state funeral at St Paul's Cathedral, and the battle flags were carried during the grand procession by a group of 48 seamen and Marines from HMS Victory.

At the end of the ceremony, as Nelson's casket was lowered, they were supposed to place the folded flags on top.

However, his devoted crew were overcome by emotion and grabbed the flags, tearing off pieces for themselves as precious mementoes of their beloved Admiral.

The Naval Chronicle described the scene:

"The Comptroller, Treasurer and Steward of his Lordship's household then broke their staves, and gave the pieces to Garter, who threw then into the grave, in which all the flags of the Victory, furled up by the sailors were deposited.

"These brave fellows, however, desirous of retaining some memorials of their great and favourite commander, had torn off a considerable part of the largest flag, of which most of them obtained a portion."

Some of these fragments were kept by families for generations, whereas others were later acquired - and highly prized - by 19th century collectors.

Authenticated by experts.

One large piece of the torn flag came into the possession of Captain William Hugh Dobbie (1771-1830) who served in the East Indies Station from 1790 to 1808.

He passed it down to his eldest son Admiral Hugh William Dobbie (1812-1889), pictured above, who in turn donated it to the Museum of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

(The RUSI was a British defence organization founded in 1831 by the Duke of Wellington to study naval and military science.)

In 1860 the flag was authenticated by institute secretary Captain Boughey Burgess, and numbered 2349 in the official RUSI collection catalogue.

This is confirmed by a letter from the museum to Dobbie, dated April 3, 1860, which is now in the collection of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.

The donated flag was later exhibited at Whitehall in 1905 during the commemoration of the Battle of Trafalgar.

It was then sold at auction in 1961 during the dispersal of the RUSI museum's collection, and a section of it was subsequently sold at auction in the U.K in 1995.

It was acquired by the renowned U.S historical expert John Reznikoff, who assembled an archive of material relating to its history and provenance.

The smaller portion of flag offered here was removed from the larger section by Reznikoff, and comes with his detailed documentation.

Major sales and a growing market.

The larger section of the flag, of which this piece is a remnant, has been offered twice at auction in recent years.

On both occasions it made headline news around the world.

It was initially sold at Sotheby's in 2005 for £120,000.

Then in 2018 it sold at Sotheby's once again – for £297,000 ($408,000).

It hugely exceeded its high estimate in both sales, and these figures clearly tell us two things:

That the demand for HMS Victory relics with good provenance is strong enough to spark bidding wars amongst collectors.

And that the market for these items shows compelling growth in recent years, with the flag's value increasing by 147%.

If it were to return to auction today I believe it would see a similar increase.

But I also suspect that, like most significant Nelson and HMS Victory artefacts, it is now part of a long-term private or institutional collection and unlikely to be offered again.

These relics grow rarer every year, and their appearance on the open market are now few and very far between.

British history at its finest.

There can surely be few greater British historical relics than the Union Jack flag which flew from the HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.

This is your opportunity to own a piece of that flag.

It is instantly iconic. An artefact which will stand proudly amidst any serious military history collection in the world.

Because this delicate fragment of cloth represents more than two centuries of naval tradition, legend and legacy.

•   It was streaming in the wind as the Victory sailed headlong into battle.

•   It was in the heart of the firestorm as cannons and muskets blazed.

•   It was flying above Admiral Nelson's head as he took his final breath.

It is offered with truly superb provenance, which includes a British Naval Admiral, a national museum, historic experts and international auctioneers.

It has been authenticated as genuine at every step.

And now you can place it at the centre of your collection.

This remarkable piece of history is available to own now for £49,995.

That price reflects its supreme historic importance, its rarity, rock solid provenance and the strength of the market. You will not currently find another piece of this flag for sale anywhere.

And in years to come, I believe these HMS Victory relics will be considered truly priceless.