Sir Francis Drake of England was best known for being the first explorer to travel around the globe. He also helped defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588 as Vice-Admiral of the English fleet. This is the original version of the Drake character jug produced from 1940 – 1941. The greatest Elizabethan seaman, Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596), is best known for being the first explorer to circumnavigate the globe. His exploits against the Spaniards made him extremely popular in England. The original version, made without a hat, was produced briefly in 1940 before being modeled into the hatted model. The original hatless version of the jug is quite rare.