Q: We bought this model ship from an Abdow’s Restaurant in Massachusetts when it closed about 30 years ago. It has a metal tag that says “Fragata Espanola Ano 1780.” Can you tell us something about it and its value?

A: You have a model of an 18th-century Spanish frigate. Frigates were war ships. It doesn’t seem to be a model of a particular ship, but was made to resemble ships of that era. We wonder why the date 1780 was chosen, since frigates were in use several years before and after that. Spain supported the American colonists during the Revolutionary War and Spanish frigates were used in several battles with the British around 1780. Wooden models with the same tag are often found offered for sale. Price is determined by size. An 18-inch-long Fragata Espanola model sold recently for $60.