Signal code. Metal box with hinged lid, painted to simulate timber. Contains complete set of ball code signals used for signalling from ship to ship. Different coloured silks are hand-stitched and stretched onto oval metal frames. Each ball code consists of two flat ovals which lay flat for storage but then pivot at the centre so that the two ovals lie at right angles to each other. Each ball code has an ivory toggle on a short cord and a small parchment label attached to a metal eyelet at the top, another cord is attached to the bottom of the ball code. At the centre of each side of the frame there are small metal projections around which is wound a cream silk cord to secure the two sections.

The metal box also contains hand-painted card inserts displaying the codes in use. There are numbered metal divisions in the box to separate the individual codes. The metal box contains twelve signal codes and thirteen metal inserts. The two hand painted card inserts are packed separately in a card folder.