Built as a ship-of-the-line at Cartagena, Spain for the Spanish Navy.
Launched under the name SAN ILDEFONSO (the name on the Kiribati stamp is wrong)
She was designed by Romero y Landa, and the first in her class of 74 gun ships.
Tonnage 1.752 ton (bm), dim. 175.5 x 48.5 x 20.10ft.
Armament: Lower deck 28 – 32pdr., upper deck 30 – 18pdr., quarter deck 6 – 12pdr. and 8 – 32pdr carronades, fo’c’sle 2 – 12pdr and 2 – 32pdr. carronades.
1785 completed
Under command of Commodore José de Vargas and a crew of 746 she took part in the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805.
After a one-hour fight with the HMS DEFENCE she struck her colours, and was taken by the British.
The SAN ILDEFONSO had 24 men killed and 126 wounded during the battle.
After she was taken over by a British prize crew, most probably brought to Gibraltar. She served later in the Royal Navy, first as a victualler hulk at Portsmouth.
1808 Provision depot ship.
1813 Was she renamed ILDEFONSO.
July 1816 broken up.
The commanding officer of the SAN ILDEFONSO, Vargas was in 1808 murdered by a disgruntled sailor.
Kiribati 2005 50c sg?, scott?
Source: Trafalgar and the Spanish Navy by John D. Harbron. The Sail & Steam Navy List, all the ships of the Royal Navy 1815-1889, by Lyon & Winfield.