The wearing of epaulettes started in 1795 just two short years before the first sea battle of the Napoleonic Wars which was the Battle of The Glorious First of June. The tradition of wearing stopped in 1939 and was totally abolished in 1959. Vice Admiral Nelson would have worn an epaulette on each shoulder each sporting just two plain stars. Today, in a much simpler system, officers wear shoulder straps with admirals having resplendent patterns of crowns, swords, laurels and stars, whilst all other officers have their stripes on their straps.
 Admiral of the Fleet {5 star} |
 Admiral {4 star} |
 Vice Admiral {3 star} |
 Rear Admiral {2 star} |
Over time, the symbols on the epaulettes changed but at no time did officers wear their stripes on them. All senior officers [commodores and above] wore epaulettes on both shoulders with symbols. Senior captains too wore epaulettes on both shoulders but in the earliest of years without symbols whereas junior captains wore them on their right shoulders only and again, without symbols. Commanders and below differed in the number of epaulettes worn and the symbols on them. The following table shows the patterns and styles use.
| Date | Admiral of the Fleet | Admiral | Vice Admiral | Rear Admiral | Commodore | Captain over 3 years | Captain under 3 years |
Commander | Lieutenant over 8 years | Lieutenant | Mate |
| Shoulders | Both | Both | Both | Both | Both | Both | Both except | Both except | Both | Both except | Both except |
| 1795 |  |
|
 |
 |
n/a | Blank no symbols | Right shoulder only. Blank no symbols | Left shoulder only. Blank no symbols | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 1812 | |
|
|
|
n/a |  |
 |
Blank no symbols | n/a | Right shoulder only. Blank no symbols | n/a |
| 1827 |  |
|
|
|
n/a | |
|
Blank no symbols | n/a | Blank no symbols | n/a |
| 1843 | |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
n/a | Blank no symbols | n/a |
| 1846 |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
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n/a | |
Right shoulder only |
| 1856 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
n/a | |
|
| 1864 | |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Sub Lieutenant
|
| 1891 |  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1926 | |
|
|
|
 |
All Captains |
n/a | |
Lieutenant Commander |
|
|
Not all the crowns are shown correctly [shape of]. Note the many likeness with certain ranks sharing the same symbols. Note the 'come down' of a captain over 3 year in 1891 to that of 1926 losing one star. Note an admiral of the fleet is a 4 star officer with other admirals respectively 3, 2 and 1 star unlike today [see coloured should straps above].