Was fifty-three unusually old for a naval commander?

Was fifty-three unusually old for Farragut to remain a commander?

It was not unusual. The way navies expanded and contracted could leave experienced officers in relatively junior ranks for many years.

Farragut's age at Mare Island prompts a question about slow promotion. Fifty-three was advanced for a commander, but it was not unusual in the service structure described here. Both the US Navy and Royal Navy could retain old lieutenants, commanders, and captains as wartime expansion gave way to contraction. Age and accumulated experience therefore did not correspond neatly to rank.