Nation's Attic Diving Into History Auction 2025 + More
Lot 117:
Description
It is an honored to be able to present for sale a truly important and limited piece of diving history. This is #293 of only 300 bronze statuettes of Jake. The very limited bronze statuettes were offered to help fund the massive 10-foot-tall US Navy Mark V Military Diver Monument located at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City Beach, FL.
Why were the bronze statuettes created in the first place? In 2006, The Mark V Monument Project Committee formed and undertook the mission to obtain the necessary United States Navy approval to fabricate and erect a 10-foot tall bronze military diver monument at the entrance to the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center (NDSTC) in Panama City Beach, Florida. The monument, known as ‘JAKE’, was funded from sales of 300 Limited Edition (LE) Fine Art Bronze Statuettes and was designed to stand on a pentagonal-shaped granite base with each side displaying a bronze seal of one of the five services of the US Military.
During the period of 2007 to 2012, the statuettes, weighing approximately 41lbs and standing 21 inches tall, were produced at a foundry in California and sold to respective collectors all over the world. The committee was deeply involved in the aspect of the design to ensure the final product was technically accurate. On completion of the manufacturing, the mold was destroyed, preventing any further production.
The MkV Monument now stands proudly outside the NDSTC in Panama City Beach, Florida. It is believed to be the most visited monument in the State of Florida and is formally dedicated to all US Military diver graduates. The plaque on the granite base states, Presented to Naval Diving & Salvage Training Center to honor those graduates of US Navy Dive Schools past, present & future who go down in the sea to work. The monument celebrates the traditions of divers around the world who have given their lives work to underwater ships husbandry, underwater construction, salvage of ships lost at sea, combat, and clandestine missions.
The last available LE Bronze Statuette was sold prior to the unveiling of the monument. A private investor purchased it on 12 Apr 2012 for $3500, and the monument was erected and unveiled on 26th October that year. Its unveiling was followed by a flurry of global emails and telephone calls from private collectors, wishing they had invested. A statuette was sold publicly on the evening of the unveiling, achieving $ 4,200 USD. In the last 10 years, virtually none of these treasured pieces have entered the market publicly. In 2022, Nation’s Attic sold one of these statuettes for just under $6000 USD. Now, we have this example available at no reserve. This is a rare opportunity to own and display one of the most impressive pieces of military diving art history ever created! This piece is in like new condition. Of note, we also have the sister to this piece, the Royal Navy Military Diver Memorial statuette. It is lot #129 and features the very same serial number, 293!
All items will be shipped with a signature required upon delivery and full insurance either via FedEx or the USPS Priority Mail. Worldwide shipping is available; however, no ocean freight will be offered on large items. DHL Express is an option for international shipments under 600 pounds via air. A shipping quote prior to the auction can be provided by emailing your postal code.
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