ATLANTA — A plan by RMS Titanic Inc. to auction more than 100 artifacts salvaged from the wreckage of the Titanic is facing opposition from the U.S. government, according to newly unsealed court documents.
The company, which holds exclusive salvage rights to the famous North Atlantic wreck, seeks to sell items including personal belongings, currency, kitchen items, and decor for the first time despite earlier agreements to only display them.
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, representing U.S. interests and oversight at the wreck site, contends such a sale would violate RMS Titanic’s legal obligations.
RMS Titanic Inc., based in Peachtree Corners, proposed auctioning the artifacts and displaying them on a global tour in four unspecified cities.
Court documents filed in the U.S. referenced the company’s plan to sell specific artifacts, including a bronze cherub, a necklace of gold nuggets, and a heart-shaped pendant.
The U.S. government argues that RMS Titanic Inc. believes court approval is not required for the sale and that its ability to sell is not restricted.
Attorneys for the company previously stated in a federal court filing that the proposed auction arrangement would not violate existing court orders and agreements regarding the artifacts.
This proposed auction represents the latest effort to sell artifacts from the Titanic.
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Since 1987, salvage operations have retrieved thousands of items, including chunks of the ship’s hull.
RMS Titanic Inc. primarily generates revenue through exhibiting these artifacts, which it has used to fund future explorations and address financial challenges.
Past attempts by the company to sell artifacts faced strong opposition from U.S. courts, preservation groups and relatives of victims, some of whom were passengers on the ship.
Items saved by survivors or recovered from the water by rescuers, however, can be sold and often command high prices.
A life jacket worn by a passenger was sold for just over $900,000 in April.
Additionally, a gold pocket watch given to the ship captain who rescued survivors sold for nearly $2 million in 2024.
The Titanic sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Europe to New York, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,500 people.
Auctioneers attribute the high demand and exorbitant prices for artifacts to the enduring fascination with the ship and the rarity of the items.
A trans-Atlantic dispute exists regarding the artifacts.
RMS Titanic Inc. aims to auction some of the initial artifacts salvaged from the wreck, which were taken to France. France subsequently awarded ownership of these specific items to the salvager.
The French oceanographic institute IFREMER partnered with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on the discovery of the wreck. The remainder of the collection was recovered during later expeditions and the salvage claim for these items was filed in a U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Va.
NOAA maintains that all of the approximately 5,000 items, regardless of whether they were claimed in France or the U.S., must remain as a single collection, based on conditions set by the U.S. court.
NOAA also states on its website that conditions from a French court stipulate that the artifacts must not be sold individually and should be kept together.
RMS Titanic Inc. has argued that the U.S. court lacks jurisdiction over the items initially claimed in France.
Representatives for RMS Titanic Inc. did not respond to requests for comment Monday regarding the proposed auction.
Similarly, representatives for the French government did not respond to requests for comment late Monday.
Some undersea explorers have expressed concerns about the sale of Titanic artifacts, advocating for their display in the public interest.
Greg Stone, a veteran ocean explorer and ocean scientist, supports careful artifact recovery but prefers a nonprofit approach.
“I don’t have a problem with people recovering artifacts from the Titanic as long as it’s done carefully, with proper archaeological techniques,” Stone said. “I’d feel better if it was a nonprofit enterprise.”
Richard Daynard, a law professor at Northeastern University School of Law in Boston specializing in public interest advocacy, noted that rules governing the display and sale of Titanic artifacts are designed to preserve the wreckage for public benefit.
These rules aim to prevent the items from being acquired by individuals for personal display of wealth.
“If it’s something where someone can walk through their house and say ‘Yes, I bought this for $5 million and it’s original from the Titanic,’ that’s not a good thing,” Daynard said.
Information from the Associated Press used for this article.