Page 566 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

DRAGON NOSE
Shanghai & Nanking [Nanjing]
circa 1854-1941

This is a silver mark used almost exclusively on silver bosun’s pipes that were made and sold in Shanghai and
Nanking to the American Navy’s Yangtze Patrol. This was part of the Asiatic Fleet and was created to protect
American interests in the treaty ports along the Yangtze River - Shanghai, Nanking, Wuhan and Chong Qing.
The bosun’s pipe or call [it is not ever called a ‘whistle’] was an official part of the official uniform kit issue. The
Nose Dragon pipe was made in China for the American Navy, according to documentation.

Two examples of Dragon Nose bosun’s pipes. The bottom pipe dates to circa 1890s and the top pipe early 20th
century.