The Titanic has been on the bottom of the ocean for more than a century. It doesn't have long left; in fact, it's on the verge of disappearing forever.
Still, there's lots of stuff left down there — and sometimes people go down and get it, and sometimes they want to sell it.
Something which, as the AP reports, the government isn't too keen on:
A plan to auction more than 100 artifacts salvaged from the wreckage of the Titanic — including personal belongings, currency, kitchen items and decor — is facing pushback from the U.S. government, according to newly unsealed court documents.
RMS Titanic Inc., the company that owns exclusive salvage rights to the famous wreck in the North Atlantic, wants to sell the artifacts for the first time despite previous agreements to only display them at museums and traveling exhibitions.
Now, you might be surprised by this dispute, if only because it seems like pretty much anyone should be able to just go down to a shipwreck, grab what they want, and do whatever they want with it. Right? I mean, it's a shipwreck!
But not so fast: The major cultural significance of the Titanic wreck means it's got some protection. That includes a UNESCO convention, as well as a joint agreement by both the U.S. and British governments. That complicates things.
According to the AP, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration contends in court that RMS Titanic Inc.'s plan would "violate [the corporation's] legal obligations to the site."
More specifically:
NOAA argues that all of the roughly 5,000 items ... must remain in one collection based on conditions set by the U.S. court. NOAA also maintains on its website that a French court's conditions required that the artifacts not be sold individually and be kept together as a single collection.
Whether or not the corporation will be permitted to go ahead with the sale clearly depends on a great deal of geopolitical considerations. Of course, I doubt most of us will be able to afford so much as a White Star Line toothpick, so we probably shouldn't sweat it either way!
And what are some of the objects potentially being sold at the disputed auction?
Court documents filed in the U.S. referenced the company's plan to sell artifacts including a bronze cherub, a necklace of gold nuggets and a heart-shaped pendant.
A "heart-shaped pendant??" I think y'all know just what that is!
Watch our latest video 👇
