USS Bonhomme Richard was a 42-gun frigate of the Continental Navy named for Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. She was originally the East Indiaman Duc de Duras, which was built in France for the French Indies Company in 1765. The ship was purchased by French authorities and placed at the disposal of American Captain John Paul Jones on 4 February 1779 by King Louis XVI as a result of a loan to the United States by French shipping magnate Jacques-Donatien Le Ray.
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Foto: Wikimedia Commons — Richard Paton, Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided, Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congres (proste licence / javna domena)