The richest passenger on the Titanic had a gold watch discovered on his corpse; it sold for £1.17 million ($1.46 million) at an English auction on Saturday. Henry Aldridge & Son, the auctioneers, said that the amount was a record for an item connected to the infamous shipping accident of 1912.
The bidding war was won by a US buyer, who also broke the auctioneer’s pre-sale estimate of £100,000–£15,000. It belonged to US business mogul John Jacob Astor; it was inscribed with his initials, JJA.
When the Titanic sank in the early hours of April 15, 1912, Astor was 47 years old. At the time, he was reportedly among the wealthiest men in the planet. Following his assistance to his wife Madeleine on board a lifeboat, he passed away. She made it through the ordeal.
Watch
It was among Astor’s personal possessions when his death was discovered one week after the tragedy. The auction firm released a statement saying, “The watch itself was completely restored after being returned to Colonel Astor’s family and worn by his son.”
Source: vangaurdngr.ng
