Random Extremely Valuable Items That Went Down With The Titanic (12 items)

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  (#12) Want More 'Titanic?'

  Even though the RMS Titanic slipped beneath the icy surface of the Atlantic more than 100 years ago, people continue to be fascinated by it. Whether it be first-person accounts of what happened on board or historical analyses of the captain’s decisions that fateful night, there is plenty to dig into if you’re someone who is interested in all things Titanic. If you – or someone you know – just can’t get enough of the "Unsinkable Ship," here are our staff’s picks of what to read, watch, and buy next.

  A Night to Remember: The Sinking of the Titanic, the #1 New York Times bestselling book by Walter Lord. Based on interviews with sixty-three survivors, Lord’s moment-by-moment account is among the finest books written about one of the twentieth century’s bleakest nights.

  A popular gift volume featuring dozens of meticulously accurate, full-color paintings – including a fold-out illustration of the whole Titanic – Titanic: An Illustrated History offers a wealth of information about the "unsinkable" cruise ship and its fatal voyage.

  The History Channel’s documentary Titanic: The Complete Story is ideal for anyone who really wants all of the details from that fateful night in a format they can watch and re-watch anytime.

  For younger readers, Voyage on the Great Titanic: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady, R.M.S. Titanic, 1912 in the popular Dear America series offers a unique view of life onboard the ship from the perspective of a young girl. 

  For the collector, miniature lover, and design enthusiast, there are rare photographic prints, scale models, and even Titanic trivia available. 

  Our staff has written lots on the subject, too, so stick around!

  • Fascinating And Rare Photos That Document The Titanic’s Journey
  • Facts We Just Learned About The Titanic That Made Us Say ‘Really?’
  • Small But Poignant Details From The Movie ‘Titanic’ That Make Us Never Want To Let Go
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  (#1) Wallace Hartley's Violin

  While Titanic sank, violinist Wallace Hartley and his fellow musicians continued playing. Their final song was reported to be "Nearer My God To Thee," performed until they could no longer remain above water. A surviving passenger claimed Hartley's last words to his bandmates were, "Gentlemen, I bid you farewell." 

  When Hartley finally went into the water, he reportedly tried used his leather bag as a floatation device and put the violin, a gift from his fiancée Maria Robinson, inside it. The bow was too long to fit inside. Hartley's body was found 10 days later, along with his water-damaged violin. Robinson requested it back, though the instrument was presumed lost.

  In 2006, the violin was discovered in Robinson's attic by an amateur musician. The old instrument still had an engraved plaque on it that read, "For Wallace on the occasion of our engagement. From Maria." After seven years of study, it was verified authentic, and went up for auction in 2013. The violin fetched a whopping $1.7 million, and is considered to be one of the most important artifacts ever recovered from the Titanic.
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  (#3) A 1912 Renault Type CB Coupe De Ville

  The Renault CB coupe owned by first-class passenger William Carter was the only automobile thought to be brought onto the ship. Both Carter and his family survived the sinking, and he later made a $5,000 insurance claim for his brand-new automobile.

  Historians say the Renault was held in a cargo hold on the front of the ship, which remains mostly intact on the ocean floor. While the value of the actual recovered vehicle is unknown, in 2003 a similar Renault was sold at auction for $269, 500. The real version, if ever recovered, would surely fetch millions.
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  (#8) Jewelry Owned By First Class Passengers

  After 73 years underwater, Titanic was finally discovered by Dr. Robert Ballard in 1985. Two years later, an expedition descended the 12,000 feet and discovered a small leather satchel. When they brought it up they were shocked at what they found: a collection of fine jewelry, still in pristine condition decades later.

  Among the jewels were necklaces, rings, brooches, cufflinks and even a pocket watch. According to scientists the tanning process used to make the leather bag was able to fight off underwater microorganisms, and protected the jewelry. Who knows what other valuable pieces went down with the ship?
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  (#2) A Jewel-Encrusted Edition Of The Rubáiyát

  The Rubáiyát is a book of poems by Medieval Persian philosopher and mathematician Omar Khayyam (1048-1131 CE). English writer and poet Edward Fitzgerald translated the poems to English for the first time in 1860, and they were published to great acclaim.

  In 1911, the publishing house Sangorski & Sutcliffe made a particularly lavish copy of The Rubáiyát. It featured a Moroccan leather cover, decorated with embroidered peacocks and more than a thousand gems set in gold. The impressive volume went on exhibition in England before being auctioned off to an American buyer for a little over $2,000. It was loaded onto the Titanic to be shipped to its new owner.

  In the unlikely event The Rubáiyát is recovered from the ocean, it would be worth an estimated $120,000.
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  (#7) A Merry-Joseph Blondel Painting

  Many expensive pieces of art were onboard the Titanic when it sank – though, thankfully, not the Picassos depicted in James Cameron's blockbuster. One piece of art that was on board was La Circassienne au Bain by artist Merry-Joseph Blondel, created in 1814.

  La Circassienne au Bain was brought on board by Swedish businessman Mauritz Håkan Björnström-Steffansson. Steffanson survived the disaster, and later demanded $100,000 for the lost painting. It was the largest claim made against the White Star Line for a single item.

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