The last remaining stocks of original Royal Navy rum were put up for sale on Wednesday, with each bottle carrying a hefty £600 price tag.
Nearly 6,000 bottles of Black Tot Rum were up for grabs at HMS Belfast on the River Thames in London, almost exactly 40 years after the final rations of the drink were issued to serving sailors, reports The Telegraph.
On July 31, 1970, known as Black Tot Day, the last rations were given out to serving sailors, calling to a close a 300-yearold tradition.
However, a small consignment was left unused.
The surplus, from ED & F Man & Co, official rum merchants to the Navy since 1784, was stored in wicker-clad stone flagons, with only small amounts withdrawn for state occasions.
