Letterpress PRINTING BLOCK Wood Copper Sailing Ship 1812 War USS WASP

Description

Presenting a letterpress block, backed in wood and faced with copper, engraved with a Revolutionary War scene illustrating the capture of the HMS Frolic by the USS Wasp
.
Wood base is in great condition. Metal finely incised, there is a gash visible which
occurred
after use.
It has been inked, so some solvent would clean it up.
Without putting it through a press, it's difficult to
interpreted
the extensive text in script. I have only been able to make out the ship names and
commemorative
date of the
illustration
: October 18, 1812. Likewise, in my research I haven't identified any prints that seem to have been made from it (eg, both ships are showing their sterns. It is not engraved after Thomas Birch).
8-1/8" long x 6-1/16" high x 7/8" thick