James T. Kirk gives Teilani the dedication plaque to the USS Enterprise-A.
A dedication plaque is a metal plate found on the bridges of most Federation starships. The information on the plate has varied over the years, but most often lists the name of the ship, the registry number, the class of the ship, the ship yard of origin, and a quote from a historical figure. Some plaques also include a listing of the officers involved in the construction of the ship.
In 2270, the dedication plaque of the USS Enterprise was hinged, allowing access to the turbolift controls. (TOS - New Visions comic: "Isolation")
A version of the USS Enterprise-A's dedication plaque had an attribution to the Starfleet Charter, specifying that the ship's motto, "… to boldly go where no man has gone before", was excerpted from that document. (ST reference: Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise)
After the destruction of the USS Enterprise-A, James T. Kirk gave the dedication plaque to Teilani before saying farewell. (TOS comic: "The Ashes of Eden")
Some dedication plaques were not placed on the bridge, nor specifically for the ship itself, but for other memorable people and locales on a starship. By approximately 2294, John Harriman had a plaque dedicated to James T. Kirk installed on the USS Enterprise-B. It was in the area of the ship where Kirk was at the time believed to have been killed. (ST - Spock: Reflections comic: "Issue 1")
Most dedication plaques are written in English, however other languages have been used, such as the plaque of the SS Tsiolkovsky. (TNG episode: "The Naked Now")
Captain William T. Riker had difficulty deciding on a proper quote to use for the dedication plaque of the USS Titan. (TTN novel: Taking Wing)
In an alternate timeline, Jean-Luc Picard chose the words "...Sokath, his eyes uncovered..." to be the motto on the dedication plaque of the USS Phoenix, a reference to his encounter with the Tamarians. (DS9 - Millennium novel: The War of the Prophets)
External link[]
- Dedication plaque article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.