The Titanic’s priceless cargo: The most expensive items lost at sea

Ahoy, history and treasure buffs! Let’s delve deep into the fabled Titanic and uncover some of the most expensive items that sank with this iconic vessel.

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La Circassienne au bain

Perhaps the most valuable item lost during the sinking of the Titanic, Merry-Joseph Blondel’s painting, La Circassienne au bain, would be worth around R55 million if it wasn’t at the bottom of the ocean.

The Renault car

Yes, there was a car aboard the Titanic! First-class passenger William Carter was transporting his 25-horsepower Renault to America, but it never made it there. It would be worth millions today.

Megalodon shark tooth necklace

While exploring the wreckage of the Titanic, divers discovered a unique necklace. How unique? Well, it had a megalodon shark tooth fashioned into it! Once 1 of the largest fish to ever exist (think 3 times longer than the largest recorded great white shark), megalodons are now extinct, making this find priceless.

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

This invaluable, jewel-encrusted edition of the Persian poet’s work was being transported on the ship. Today, its value is estimated to be nearly R9.3 million.

John Jacob Astor’s fortune

John Jacob Astor was an American business magnate, real estate developer, investor, writer, lieutenant colonel in the Spanish-American War, and perhaps the wealthiest passenger onboard the Titanic. His personal effects, including fine clothes, jewellery and cash, which were on the ship with him, were worth a fortune. While the exact value is unknown, it certainly would’ve been an incredibly significant loss, as it’s estimated that Astor’s net worth would be close to R48 billion today!