Prize Money

Prize money has a distinct meaning in warfare, especially naval warfare, where it was a monetary reward paid out to the crew of a ship for capturing or sinking an enemy vessel. The claims for the bounty are usually heard in a Prize Court. This article covers the arrangements of the British Royal Navy, but similar arrangements were used in the navies of other nations, and existed in the British Army and other armies, especially when a city had been taken by storm.

Famous quotes containing the words prize and/or money:

    In the corrupted currents of this world
    Offence’s gilded hand may shove by justice,
    And oft ‘tis seen the wicked prize itself
    Buys out the law; but ‘tis not so above:
    There is no shuffling.
    William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

    I pray we are still a young and courageous nation, that we have not grown so old and so fat and so prosperous that all we can think about is to sit back with our arms around our money bags. If we choose to do that I have no doubt that the smoldering fires will burst into flame and consume us—dollars and all.
    Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973)