A piece of polystyrene which was compressed because of extreme water pressure levels on a submersible voyage to the wreckage of R.M.S Titanic has been sold at auction for £1,400.
The polystyrene tile was taken to the wreck of the R.M.S Titanic by explorer Dik Barton in 2000. The tiny piece of polystyrene which returned from the seabed is a quarter of its original size, after it was crushed by water pressure following being taken outside of the submersible.
The auctioned piece had been estimated by experts from the British Titanic Society to reach a final valuation between £500 and £800, with auctioneer Colin Cobb bringing the hammer down at almost three times the lower estimate. The auction took place at the Titanic Hotel in Belfast as part of the British Titanic Society’s annual convention, where
over 150 delegates and Titanic enthusiasts from across the world has assembled for the weekend.
It was the first convention to be held by the British Titanic Society since the fatal OceanGate submersible disaster which took place on 18th June 2023, where all five members of the expedition died.
