Titanic Artifacts To Go Up For Auction


James Cameron will be releasing a 3D version of his film “Titanic” to honor the 100th anniversary of the legendary ship’s sinking. But if you really want to get an up close look at the world’s most famous shipwreck, you should check out the 5500 Titanic artifacts that will be auctioned off next year.

The Wall Street Journal reports that fine china, ship fittings, currency, and personal possessions will be auctioned off in April. The auction still needs to be approved by a federal judge in Virginia who has overseen the legal issues regulating the salvage of the Titanic for years. Premier Exhibitions Inc., the parent company of RMS Titanic Inc., plans to set an official date in January.

The Associated Press reports that the trove of Titanic artifacts was valued of $189 million after a 2007 appraisal.

Judge Smith, a maritime jurist, called the Titanic an “international treasure” when he ruled in 2010 that the artifacts should be sold as a collection and not piece by piece. Smith also ruled that the artifact should be available “to present and future generations for public display and exhibition, historical review, scientific and scholarly research, and educational purposes.”

Guernsey’s, the New York City auction house that will be putting the Titanic collection up for sale, wrote in the SEC filing:

“The Property will be sold as a complete collection and offered for sale as one lot.”

Which means that when the Titanic artifacts do go up for auction, they’ll likely be purchased by a museum.

More than 1500 people died when the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage after striking an iceberg on April 15th, 1912. Would you go see a Titanic exhibit if the artifacts do make it to a museum?

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