Titanic Survivor's Letter Fetches £300,000 at Auction

Sat Sep 13 2025 17:04:45 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A historic letter from a Titanic passenger, penned just prior to the ship's fateful voyage, has dramatically sold for £300,000 at auction.

An extraordinary letter written by Titanic survivor Colonel Archibald Gracie has set a new auction record, fetching an astonishing £300,000 ($400,000) in Wiltshire, UK. The letter was penned on April 10, 1912, just days before the ill-fated ship sank after hitting an iceberg.

The hand-written correspondence, which was meant for a friend, is seen as "prophetic" as Gracie reflects on his thoughts about the ship, stating he would "await my journey's end". As one of the 2,200 onboard, Gracie's experience and subsequent writings, including "The Truth About The Titanic", detail his harrowing survival story after the catastrophe claimed over 1,500 lives. Despite surviving, he suffered severe health setbacks post-disaster, eventually losing his life in December 1912 due to complications from his injuries and diabetes.

In a surprising twist, the letter sold for five times its estimated value, marking it as the highest auction price for any Titanic correspondence.

This letter not only holds historical significance but encapsulates the tragic fate of the Titanic and its passengers, making it a treasured artifact of maritime history.

The auction marking this unique piece of history has drawn global attention to the Titanic disaster and its profound impact on those who experienced it.