A gold pocket watch, given to the captain of a steamship that rescued over 700 Titanic passengers, has been sold for a record-breaking $1.96 million — the highest amount ever paid for memorabilia belonging to the unfortunate ship that sunk on its maiden voyage in 1912 in the Atlantic, according to auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son of Devizes, Wiltshire. The 18-carat Tiffany & Co gold watch was given to Captain Arthur Rostron by Madeleine Astor and two other widows of John Jacob Astor – a wealthy businessman, believed to be the richest man aboard the Titanic when he alongside 1,500 others lost their lives.

Mr Rostron was the skipper of the RMS Carpathia, a passenger steamship that rescued 705 survivors from the Titanic’s lifeboats. Carpathia was on its way to Europe from New York when the ship’s wireless operator picked up the distress call, “We’ve struck ice, come at once”. The captain changed the course of the ship and headed towards the wreckage of the Titanic with lifeboats floating around.

According to auctioneer Andrew Aldridge, the watch was “presented principally in gratitude for Rostron’s bravery in saving those lives, because without Mr Rostron, those 700 people wouldn’t have made it”. He added that the sale demonstrated the “enduring fascination” with the story of the Titanic.

Notably, Mr Rostron received the watch from Mrs Astor at a lunch at the family’s mansion in New York which carried the inscription: “Presented to Captain Rostron with the heartfelt gratitude and appreciation of three survivors of the Titanic April 15th 1912 Mrs John B Thayer, Mrs John Jacob Astor and Mrs George D Widener.”

Also Read | Gold Watch Owned By Wealthiest Titanic Passenger Sells For $1.46 Million

Previous record

The previous record for the highest amount ever paid for Titanic memorabilia was set in April, earlier this year when another gold pocket watch, recovered from John Jacob Astor’s body was sold for $1.46 million. The watch, engraved with the initials JJA was recovered a week after the disaster when Astor’s body was pulled out.

The violin that was played as the Titanic plunged into the icy waters, held the record for the highest amount paid for a Titanic item for 11 years, having been sold for $1.38 million in 2013.

The sixth edition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s memento auction is now open, with over 600 items up for grabs. The Prime Minister has called on the public to participate in the upcoming auction of mementoes he has received over the past year. On his X account, PM Modi said that the proceeds from the auction would contribute to the ‘Namami Gange’ initiative, aimed at the conservation and rejuvenation of the Ganges River.

In his message, PM Modi said, “Every year, I auction the various mementoes I receive during the public programmes. The proceeds of the auction go to the Namami Gange initiative. I’m delighted to share that this year’s auction has opened. Do bid for the mementoes you find interesting!”

Every year, I auction the various mementoes I receive during the public programmes. The proceeds of the auction go to the Namami Gange initiative. I’m delighted to share that this year’s auction has opened. Do bid for the mementoes you find interesting!https://t.co/pWeq3zwuXz

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 19, 2024

The ‘Namami Gange Programme’ is a flagship project approved by the Union Government in June 2014, with a budget of Rs 20,000 crore. The initiative focuses on pollution reduction and conservation of the Ganga.

On Monday, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat showcased the Prime Minister’s mementoes at the National Gallery of Modern Art. Addressing the press, Mr Shekhawat revealed that the auction would feature approximately 600 items, with base prices set by a government committee. The auction will run from September 17, coinciding with PM Modi’s birthday, until October 2.

Some of the items up for auction are:

• Encased Sports Shoes: Worn by Paralympic bronze medalists Ajeet Singh and Simran Sharma, and silver medalist Nishad Kumar, each priced around Rs 2.86 lakh.
• Signed Cap: From silver medalist Sharad Kumar, also priced around Rs 2.86 lakh.
• Badminton Racket: Used by Paralympic bronze medalist Nithya Sre Sivan and shuttler Sukant Kadam, priced at Rs 5.50 lakh.
• Discus: Used by silver medalist Yogesh Khatuniya, priced at Rs 5.50 lakh.
• Model of Ram Temple: Valued at Rs 5.50 lakh.
• Peacock Statue: Priced at Rs 3.30 lakh.
• Statue of Ram Darbar: Valued at Rs 2.76 lakh.
• Silver Veena: Priced at Rs 1.65 lakh.

For those seeking more affordable options, the auction will also feature items such as cotton angavastrams, caps and shawls, starting at Rs 600 each.

Additionally, distinguished works of art such as Pichwai paintings, Khaadi shawls, Silver Filigree, Mata Ni Pachedi Art, Gond Art and Madhubani Art are included in the collection.

Individuals interested in participating in the e-auction can register and bid via the official website: https://pmmementos.gov.in/.

Minister Shekhawat stated that this was the sixth auction in a series that began in January 2019. The previous auctions have collectively raised over Rs 50 crore. 

A proof copy of the first Harry Potter book, which was purchased over 30 years ago for pennies at a secondhand bookshop, fetched 11,000 pounds (Rs 11.5 lakhs) at auction, as per a report in ABC News. The original edition of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” which is marked “uncorrected proof copy” on the cover, was purchased in 1997 for a total of 40 pence ($0.50) from a south London bookstore together with two other novels, according to British auctioneers Hanson’s.

The seller, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that she bought the book about the well-known young wizard as a “throw-in” along with other titles and neglected it for years until learning about the high prices some Potter books brought in.

On Wednesday, the book sold for 11,000 pounds at auction, with a sales premium added to make the total price 14,432 pounds. The buyer is an individual in the United Kingdom, according to the outlet. The author’s name was erroneously listed as “J A Rowling” on the copy’s inside title page rather than J.K. Rowling, according to Jim Spencer, head of books at the auction house.

“This book so deserved to do well. This proof copy is where the Harry Potter phenomenon began. This is the very first appearance in print of the first Potter novel,” Mr Spencer said.

Meanwhile, an incredibly rare Harry Potter book bought for 30 pence was sold for 10,500 pounds at an auction in July last year. The first-edition copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was one of 500 produced and was bought by a collector from Staffordshire who died earlier last year, BBC reported. The hardback copy of the book went under the hammer with Richard Winterton Auctioneers at The Lichfield Auction Centre, Fradley Park, on July 10.

Published by Bloomsbury in 1997 with a laminated board cover, the book is one of only 500 first edition first impressions and, of those, one of only 300 sent to libraries. The winning bid was placed online by a buyer from Los Angeles, according to a release by Lichfield Auction Centre. The book was estimated at 3,000 pounds to 5,000 pounds due to its ‘much-loved condition’ as an ex-library book.