Stars & Stripes Sea Chest.

I would love to know the history of this item, a new arrival here this afternoon. A good 19th.c. hardwood seaman's chest. Whilst it has lost it's original hinges and locks and the outside has probably been stripped, inside the lid it retains a great painted detail combining the British red ensign with the US stars and stripes. An evocative detail perhaps recording the origins of its original owner.
Dimensions: width 40", depth18", height17".