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Antique Suede Leather Book Cover w/ Book Marker

Currency:USD Category:Antiques Start Price:25.00 USD Estimated At:40.00 - 60.00 USD
Antique Suede Leather Book Cover w/ Book Marker
Antique Royal Mail Ship Niagara Suede Leather Book Cover w/ Book Marker, C-A-Line Ltd, this is a souvenir, closed it measures 5.75''W x 8''L and includes an attached fringed leather book marker ''Books are Silver Friends'', features a hand painted Native American Chief on the front, FYI: ''RMS Niagara was a transpacific steam ocean liner, Royal Mail Ship and refrigerated cargo ship. She was launched in 1912 in Scotland and sunk in 1940 by a German mine off the coast of New Zealand. Her regular route was between Sydney and Vancouver via Auckland, Suva and Honolulu. In her 27-year career she made 162 round trips between Australia, New Zealand and Canada and sailed nearly 2,500,000 nautical miles (4,600,000 km). Niagara was built to burn either coal or oil. She was the first oil-burning steamship to be certificated by the Board of Trade to carry passengers. When new, Niagara was the largest merchant ship yet owned by a New Zealand company. In 1914 and 1915 she set a number of speed records for crossing the Tasman Sea. In 1918 Niagara was instrumental in the spread of Spanish flu to New Zealand. When she was sunk in 1940, Niagara was carrying about 81/2 tons of gold bars. Divers recovered 555 bars in 1941, and another 30 in 1953, but five gold bars remain unaccounted for. Niagara was bunkered with oil when she sank. Heavy fuel oil has leaked from her bunker tanks ever since, and has caused some environmental damage in and around Hauraki Gulf.''