A pollywog becomes a shellback the day his ship crosses the equator and King Neptune's court is done with him. Cross at the 180th meridian and he is a Golden Shellback. Above the Arctic Circle, a Blue Nose. Across the International Date Line, a member of the Domain of the Golden Dragon.
These are the traditions the Navy kept when it let go of almost everything else. The collection covers the line-crossing orders, the Panama and Suez Canal "Ditch" patches, Plank Owner patches for commissioning crews, and the Order of Magellan for the sailors who went all the way around.
- Product
- Qty in Cart
- Quantity
- Price
- Subtotal
-
On Sale
Ancient Order of the Shellback King Neptune Patch$9.95$14.95The 00° stitched beside King Neptune's head is the latitude of the Equator, the line every Pollywog has to cross before he can call himself a Shellback. The ceremony that turns one into the other is...$9.95$14.95 -
On Sale
US Navy Shellback King Neptune Ancient Order of the Deep Hat Patch$12.95$15.95The crowned, bearded king holding the trident on this patch is Neptunus Rex, and aboard a Navy ship he is traditionally played by the oldest or most senior shellback in the crew. He rules the...$12.95$15.95 -
Blue Nose Realm Of The Arctic Circle Patch$9.95It begins the moment the ship crosses an invisible line on the chart, when the sea turns colder, the light stretches strangely across the horizon, and tradition takes over. The Blue Nose Realm of the...$9.95 -
Domain of the Golden Dragon Embroidered Patch - 180th Meridian Navy Crossing Ceremony$12.95Crossing the International Date Line at the 180th meridian is one of the few Navy milestones that never appears in a service record but stays with a sailor for the rest of his life. The Domain of...$12.95 -
Navy Blue Nose Polar Bear Hat Patch$14.95The blue thread on this polar bear's nose is the whole idea: a sailor who crosses the Arctic Circle aboard ship becomes a Blue Nose. The circle sits at about 66 degrees 34 minutes north, and a ship...$14.95 -
Golden Shellback King Neptune Navy Line Crossing Patch$9.95A Golden Shellback crossed the Equator at the exact spot where it meets the 180th meridian, the one place on the globe where the Line and the International Date Line cross. A regular crossing...$9.95 -
Blue Nose Submarine Arctic Circle Patch$11.95USS Skate surfaced through the polar ice on March 17, 1959, and proved the Arctic was a submariner's ocean. Nautilus had crossed beneath the North Pole the summer before, and between the two boats...$11.95 -
Order Of The Ditch Panama Canal Patch$14.95Before jets shrank continents and satellites rewrote navigation, the Panama Canal was one of the greatest engineering feats ever attempted—an artery carved through jungle and mountain that rewired...$14.95 -
Ancient Order of the Shellback King Neptune 3-Inch Patch$12.95The 00 degree mark stitched beside King Neptune's head is latitude zero, and crossing it aboard ship is what turns a Pollywog into a Shellback. A sailor who has never crossed the equator at sea is a...$12.95 -
Plank Owner Name Tape Patch$9.95Plank Owner Name Tape Patch (U.S. Navy) 4.0" x 1.0" Embroidered Patch with Iron-On Backing Superior Materials: Made with premium polyester thread and durable twill fabric, ensuring long-lasting color...$9.95 -
Blue Nose 66.5 Degrees North Latitude Patch$11.95The Navy has no official medal for crossing the Arctic Circle, and it has never needed one. What it has is the Order of the Blue Nose, an initiation sailors have carried into the high latitudes for...$11.95 -
Order of Magellan Round the World Navy Circumnavigation Patch$11.95Five ships sailed from Spain in 1519, and one came home. Victoria returned in 1522 with 18 survivors under Juan Sebastian Elcano, completing the first circumnavigation of the earth and finishing the...$11.95 -
$9.95 -
Safari To Suez Canal - I Did The Ditch Patch$14.95“Safari to Suez Canal – I Did the Ditch” is the kind of phrase that only makes sense to those who have lived it. It belongs to the informal language of sailors who measure their careers not just in...$14.95 -
Plank Owner US Navy Commissioning Crew Patch$14.80Plank owner is not an official Navy term, and that is exactly why it has lasted. The title belongs to a sailor who stood in the crew on the day a ship went into commission, and it is kept by the...$14.80 -
Emerald Shellback -Imperium Neptuni Regis Patch$11.95Emerald Shellback – Imperium Neptuni Regis Patch – 4.50" x 4.50" Embroidered Patch with Iron-On Backing Superior Materials: Made with premium polyester thread and durable twill fabric, ensuring...$11.95 -
Blue Nose Northern Domain Hat Patch$7.95Own a piece of U.S. Naval history with this Blue Nose Arctic Explorers patch, featuring our original design. This premium embroidered patch captures the spirit of naval exploration and cold-weather...$7.95 -
Shellback King Neptune US Marine Corps Patch$13.95Long before a Marine earns the title of “Shellback,” he must face the timeless rite of crossing the equator. This ancient naval tradition, presided over by the mythical King Neptune himself, is a...$13.95 -
$9.95 -
Order of the Spanish Main Patch$11.95Order of the Spanish Main Patch 4.0" x 4.0" Embroidered Patch with Iron-On Backing Superior Materials: Made with premium polyester thread and durable twill fabric, ensuring long-lasting color and...$11.95 -
Blue Nose Hat - Snapback Ball Cap$43.95Blue Nose Hat: Dive into the world of Arctic exploration with our Blue Nose hat. This emblematic design is a tribute to those who have endured the icy waters of the North Atlantic and earned the...$43.95 -
Fair Winds and Following Seas Patch$11.95"Fair winds and following seas" is not a slogan — it is the Navy's oldest and most permanent farewell, spoken at retirements, read aloud at memorial services, and stenciled onto every kind of...$11.95 -
USS William H Standley CG-32 Shellback Patch$13.95USS William H. Standley CG-32 - "Gold border with blue field and picture" - "OFFICERS & CREW PASSED BY ROYAL STAFF DULY INITIATED SHELLBACK"$13.95 -
$9.95 -
Shellback Hat - Snapback Ball Cap - Navy Blue$43.95Shellback Hat: Celebrate the incredible journey of crossing the equator with our Shellback hat. Whether you're a seasoned sailor or embarking on your first crossing, this hat commemorates your...$43.95 -
Shellback Ancient Order Embroidered Christmas Tree Ornament$9.95Show off your membership. Order of the deep, Pollywogs beware. Fully embroidered and double-sided.$9.95 -
Blue Nose Patch Collection$65.90Blue Nose Patch Collection In naval tradition, a “Blue Nose” is a sailor who has crossed the Arctic Circle—a rite of passage earned in some of the harshest conditions on Earth. It’s a mark of pride,...$65.90 -
Blue Nose Arctic Circle Christmas Tree Ornament$19.03Show your pride and your enrollment this holiday season.$19.03 -
Request We Make It
CVN-68 Nimitz Patch Northern Wedding 86 Blue Nose$13.95CVN-68 NIMITZ Multi-Purpose Nuclear Propulsion Aircraft Carrier Military Patch NORTHERN WEDDING 86 BLUE NOSE$13.95 -
USS William H Standley DLG-32 Shellback Patch$13.95USS William H. Standley DLG-32 - "Gold border with blue field and picture" - "OFFICERS & CREW PASSED BY ROYAL STAFF DUIY INITIATED SHELLBACK"$13.95 -
Plank Owner Hat - Snapback Ball Cap - Navy Blue$43.95Own your maritime heritage with our Plank Owner Hat. Get yours today and wear your ship's history with pride.Plank Owner Hat: Wear the symbol of your ship's original crew proudly with our Plank Owner...$43.95