Ashiusx

Which one is more beneficial and safer to be?

Kevinmeath

A 'Privateer' is legal a 'Pirate' may well see you hang

General Michael Collins

Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a Pirate's life for me.

tjadams

Having a governmental issued licensed, or "Letters of Marque" would
make me feel better about what I was doing.

Kevinmeath

You would be doing almost the same thing as a pirate , although you are 'supposed' to restrict your actions to 'enemy' ships, but you can justify it to yourself that you're doing for 'patriotic' motives and the money is very much a secondary concern.

Gentlemen don't concern themselves with vulgar things like 'profit', if it should be the accidental by-product of your patriotic duty well that just unfortunate and such misfortunes should be borne stoically by a gentlemen and not talked about in polite society.

tjadams

^I know Kevin, I wrote a huge paper about the early beginnings of the US Navy
& the use of privateers, during the American Revolution.

redcoat

Privateer is the safer, if taken prisoner you are treated as a POW.

funakison

In theory having a letter of marque offers a degree of protection from ones own navy. You can guarantee all enemy nations whose ships you have plundered are not going to be inpresssed by your piece of paper and would stretch your neck at the first opportunity.

so im for full blooded piracy.

Kevinmeath

just finished Lamberts book on the Naval war of 1812, he makes the point that fortunes were made but also many privateers made no money.

Any idea as to the proportion?

Virgil

Being a privateer still got Captain Kidd hung by his own country. I guess no system of thieving is perfect.