Mediterranean Pass

The Mediterranean pass (or Mediterranean passport, the name used in the United States) was a document which identified a ship as being protected under a treaty with states of the Barbary Coast. Now known as the Barbary pirates, these states required countries to pay tribute in exchange for not capturing that country's ships and crews. These passes identified ships which had safe passage.

The top of the British document was cut off in an erratic scalloped pattern used to confirm its authenticity. The matching top of the document was sent to officials along the Barbary Coast, so cruisers from those ports would have samples for comparison with the edge of the documents. A similar design was adopted by the United States, although U.S. Consul General in Algiers Richard O'Brien pointed out the document should be on thicker paper (or parchment) and kept in a tin container so as to ensure a better match between tops and bottoms (he also suggested that ships fly the American flag rather than the flags of individual states).

Countries known to have issued such documents include:

• Algeria: Turkish passes were temporarily issued to some vessels by the Dey of Algiers.
• Britain
• Spain
• United States of America

The United States issued Mediterranean passports starting with a September 5, 1795, treaty with the Dey of Algiers, and continued through the mid-19th century.