Name/Title
Provisional Texas Navy [Shako Plate]Description
Die-stamped shako plate with a five-pointed star above a canted foul anchor. A foul anchor is a nautical term meaning the anchor is entwined in rope. Made of silver.Context
As a specialist professional whose expertise and authority demanded formal recognition, he is a Warrant Officer and his insignia is silver. The name of the rank originated in medieval England. It was first used during the 13th century, in the Royal Navy, where warrant officers achieved the designation by virtue of their accrued experience or seniority, and technically held the rank by a warrant, rather than by a formal commission (as in the case of a commissioned officer).
Note: this insignia was made of melted Mexican silver coins as the United States did not have silver ore until the discovery of the Comstock Lode in Nevada in 1859.