On Aug. 19, 1812, Captain Isaac Hull, commander of the United States frigate Constitution, engaged the British frigate Guerriere (or “Warrior”) off the coast of Nova Scotia. During this action, sailors observed British cannon balls bouncing off the thick oak timbers of the Constitution’s hull, giving rise to the nickname “Old Ironsides.” After a 35-minute battle, close to a third of the Guerriere’s crew was killed or wounded, and the ship was so badly damaged that it was forced to surrender. Captain Hull retained this elegant dinner plate from the British captain’s service as a memento of the action, which was one of the most celebrated American victories of the War of 1812, also known as the “Second War of Independence.”