Summary

Alternative Name(s): King Neptune Certificate

Crossing the Equator Certificate issued to passengers travelling on the Lloyd Triestino Line ship MV Australia on 27 February 1955. It was collected by Donald Dott during his travels between Australia and Europe in 1954-1956.

Many ships such as the MV Australia carried both tourists and immigrants, and documents such as dinner menus, luggage labels, and King Neptune certificates were provided to all passengers.

Physical Description

Slightly larger than A4 size certificate printed on the front only. The top two thirds depicts an image of a giant Neptune rising out of the sea with trident, crown and long white beard and hair halting a cruise liner with his outstretched right arm. Neptune is printed in gold ink as are the funnels of the cruise liner. His trident, crown, broad nose and lips and lines describing his body are printed in red. The sea is printed in aqua and there is a border of aqua waves at the bottom of the certificate. There is a fake seal on the lower left corner on a fake rope. The seal is a separate piece of red printed paper, embossed with a symbol of a turret of a castle, an anchor and the letters L and T within a circle. The bottom third of the certificate has Latin text capitals printed in red and script in aqua. There is handwriting in black ink and two signatures in blue. The card may be textured to appear like vellum.

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