RMS Titanic collectibles action marks Centenary of doomed ship's launch

'Unusual' silver plated cutlery will star in this auction marking the Centenary of RMS Titanic's launch

One hundred years have passed since the doomed launch of RMS Titanic. To mark the occasion, a UK auctioneer is offering collectors a chance to own exceptionally rare memorabilia artefacts and collectors' pieces in a sealed bid auction.

Among the commemorative items for sale are a number of silver plated cutlery pieces. Each has been reproduced and hand-finished to the standards enjoyed by passengers in RMS Titanic's first class accommodation.

These items are very limited and will auction in a presentation wooden canteen with a signed certificate of authenticity and a reserve price of £12,000. Why are they so expensive? Well, the answer is as novel as it is unexpected...

The auctioneer is teaming up with Deep Ocean Expeditions to submerge the silver plated cutlery pieces 2.5 miles beneath the ocean, to Titanic's final resting place.

RMS Titanic in Southampton docks, prior to its doomed launch in 1912

The pieces will then be brought back up to the surface and delivered to the winning bidder.

It will be interesting to see if collectors are drawn to this unusual idea. Also for sale in the auction is a copy of the Daily Sketch tabloid newspaper first published on 16 April 1912. The issue recounts the sinking of RMS Titanic on her maiden voyage.

These collectibles will undoubtedly prove of interest to some. But, if you're on the lookout for some high-end Titanic collectibles, Paul Fraser Collectibles recommends that you search for genuine items from RMS Titanic herself.

The greater the story attached to the collectible, the better. Past RMS Titanic memorabilia sales have included the auctioning of the keys from Titanic's Crow's Nest - the very keys which could have helped save the ship from disaster.

These 'RMS Titanic' silver plated cutlery pieces will boast unusual provenance...

The ship's locked Crow's Nest held a pair of binoculars which may have enabled Titanic's crew to have spotted the iceberg into which she crashed. But the keys weren't even onboard...

They instead lay in the pocket of an officer who was transferred off the ship just days before its maiden voyage. The officer forgot to return the keys to their rightful place. The rest, as they say, is history.

The Crow's Nest keys later brought £90,000 at an auction held in Wiltshire, UK.

Click here to read our special report on previously-auctioned rare RMS Titanic collectibles.

Recent and related articles

  Titanic diver Carl Spencer's watches and rare memorabilia auction in UK | 17 January 2012

  Titanic wageslip and Tiffany lamp go up for sale for Kraft Auction Service | 6 January 2012

  RMS Titanic rare collectibles: five of our favourites to have auctioned | 3 January 2012

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