A bloke is selling a piece of the Titanic, but if you fancy getting yourself a little bit of history, you’ll need to part with a lot of cash.
The ill-fated ship sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton in the UK to New York in the States - killing more than 1,500 people.
The ship’s remains are still at the bottom of the ocean, where voyages have travelled down to explore the wreckage.
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Earlier this year, a submersible carrying five passengers down to explore the sunken vessel ended in tragedy after it suffered a ‘catastrophic implosion’ killing everyone onboard.
In a 2013 episode of the History Channel’s popular show Pawn Stars - antique and collectible expert Rick Harrison took a trip to the UK, where he managed to come across a small piece of the Titanic at the Regal Pawn shop in Chester.
The owner of the shop, known as Big Mark, had an impressive array of valuables, including old military uniform and kit alongside some props from Doctor Who. Something for everyone, eh?
And Big Mark seemed keen to show off one particular item he had stashed away inside his shop.
Presenting a small box, he told Rick: “I’ve got something here that will blow your socks off.
“This is what you’ve been looking for all your life. Ready?”
Rick appeared slightly excited about what he was about to set his eyes on, so I can imagine he probably felt a bit confused when the box was opened up and he saw a piece of rusted, jagged metal.
Looking at the metal fragment, Rick joked: “Wow. It’s absolutely beautiful. What is it?” before bursting into laughter.
Mark replied: “Well, you think it’s a piece of rusty metal, don’t you? Well, it is a piece of rusty metal.
“Remember that famous ship that would never sink? That’s part of the Titanic’s hull.”
Rick then asked: “So is that where it ran into the iceberg?”
To which Mark explained it was actually from the other side of the ship and was recovered following a huge operation to bring parts of the legendary vessel back to dry land.
The Pawn Star presenter then asked if it was for sale, and Mark confirmed it was - but you’ll need deep pockets.
“That is going to cost you £1.2 million ($1.4 million),” Mark shared.
And I’m unsure of Rick’s response as it was bleeped by the show’s censors, but I reckon we can probably have a guess.
He later told the cameras: “All I know is I’m not dropping £1.2 million on a chunk of metal. Unless it’s a really big chunk of gold.”
Topics: UK News, TV and Film, Money
Claire Reid