Titanic coal

[Timothy Trower]

That gentleman is Kevin Saucier, and he has a good pedigree! In fact, he is a member of the ET message board, and checked in as recently as today.

 

[William Potter]

Kevin Saucier?
Not the same one who played baseball, I take it?
WP

 

[Kevin Saucier]

A gentleman...that's the rumor! You failed to mention boyish good looks.

William, good to see you are doing your homework. I wold do the same. A small piece of wreckwood will be waiting for you.

Nope sorry, not the ball player from the 80's. Although I do collect his cards!

Tim - did you get the response to your email? It was "way" over my head, so not wanting to look too stupid, I forwarded it to a friend. btw...the engraving plate would be the mother load. I wish it was that. Many thanks!

 

[Timothy Trower]

Kevin,

Yes, I did get an email about the negative, and am going to do some checking on the early use of ruby lith tape. I agree with you ... the plate itself would indeed be the prize above all others.

 

[William Potter]

Well I have attempted to purchase two Titanic items in the past week, got the coal on the way and have bid on Kevin's wood piece. I am hoping that this Titanic relic fever will subside before I end up with a whole shelf of it like I now have of Berlin Wall fragments

 

[Pedge Jameson]

rmstgifts.com, there the "official" site for RMS Titanic Inc. and I guess the coal. I take it I won't have any problem wondering if it's for real correct?

 

[Pedge Jameson]

See, I just posted something to the effect about the official RMS Site selling coal.
It has to be real if it's from the official site I'm supposing.

Here's the one question I have.

If the folks on ebay are selling fake ones, why spend all the money on the...

1. Fake Coal..(OK you can find this anywhere.)
2. Plastic casing exactly matching the ones RMS INC Sells. (Umm??)
3. Fancy Box and sleeve exactly matching. (Prolly costs 10 bucks or so.)
4. Cotton wad (Yeah I know, find it anywhere.)

After that, why would somebody fake it? It would cost the same thing if not more to do it out of your house.
Unless they just have a sick sense of humor.
Thoughts folks?

 

[Eric Longo]

Hi Pedge,
you left out one of the most popular items online today - the fake LOA or Cert. of Authenticity. Then again, most sellers of fakes do not stand behind any of their own claims or they have a no-return-policy already in place.

Best,
Eric Longo

[Moderator's note: This post and the two above it, were posted in separate threads, but have been moved to the already pre-existing one on the same subject. JDT]

 

[Hitch]

Douse anyone know if the Titanic coal is still being sold trough the RMS TITANIC, INC site? Is searched on their website but didn't find any information about it.

I don't want to buy a piece from Ebay, my scared I might end up with a fake if I buy from Ebay.

Thanks!
Carl

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>Is searched on their website but didn't find any information about it.<<

If it's no longer there, the smart money is that for whatever reason, they are no longer offering it. The stocks may be gone or they may be holding onto then against the time when the market demand will bring a higher price.

 

[Eric Longo]

"...they may be holding onto then against the time when the market demand will bring a higher price."

Hmm. 2012?

Eric

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>Hmm. 2012?<<

That's what I'm thinking. I imagine it'll be a good time for a lot of us bookworms who may want to aquire reprints of classic titles which won't see daylight otherwise.

 

[Christian]

94/0036

Dear members, I'm not much of a Titanic buff, but being interested in history as such and seeing that pieces of coal aren't that expensive, I though I might get one.

One fact makes me wonder though:

On ALL the pics one can see on either ebay or even the "official" Titanic Shop webpage is the same Lot-No.: Object No. 94/0036 I've seen that over many years (about 10) now, on objects of many different forms (necklace, keepsake etc) so I doubt it is a set of pic being re-used all the time.

Can it really be, that since about 10 years all those items come from the same lot?

I do hope there's still someone out there, as this thread has been quiet for so long.

Thank you very much

Christian

 

[Rusty_S]

I purchased back in 2012 a Centennial edition necklace off ebay along with a Titanic Coal coin.

The necklace is still in its sealed package and the certificate of authenticity bores the RMS Titanic Inc Corporate seal from Flordia. Like wise certificate states it was recovered during the 2000 Research and Recovery expedition, it weighs 2948.35 grams and the origin is South Wales Coal fields Six Bells Mine. Even has the signature of Arnie Geller and certificate number.

The coin how ever has a certification as well its in a "Highland Mint" box the certificate states registration number 03995/25,000. The interesting part is the inside of the folded certificate its the same as the necklace even down to the certificate number. So it could be fake but I highly doubt it considering the money I paid for it would have resulted in the seller losing money to fake this.

 

[Strickland]

I wonder if someone can explain the worrying frequency with which "Titanic coal" is being sold on the internet (particularly on Ebay). Surely these aren't genuine?! I see that the majority come with a cute little presentation box and the obligatory certificate of authenticity. Correct me if I'm wrong, but surely this type of sale is fresh pickings for con men. Coal is ten a penny, so how do you know you're getting the genuine article??

Also, I am no moral philosopher but there are surely ethical considerations about owning what is essentially a piece of a gravesite. I had no idea that recovered artifacts were even allowed to be sold to just anybody. It beggars belief.

I guess what I really want to know is

a). The likelihood of the coal being genuine (Not that I would buy it!)

b). Your thoughts on the ethics of selling wreck artifacts

They'll be selling genuine Titanic corpses next.



Thankyou for your time.

Jamie

Arriving very late in this conversation, a couple of thoughts on coal and whether it is authentic. It all comes down to trust. I purchased mine at an exhibition in Canada put on by those who mounted the expedition to the wreck, retrieved the coal and signed the certificate. It is smaller than a marble and is in the little black "Titanic" box along with the certificate. It sits in the display case of my 1/350 model of the ship built in the early 1980s. Given this provenance, I have pretty much absolute trust that I purchased the real item.

However, as soon as I walked out of the exhibition, the trust shifted to my shoulders. Were I to re-sell the coal (not going to), a prospective buyer would have to take my word it was real, and not a scam. Were the purchaser my best friend or a family member, they would probably say my word is good enough. If it were John or Jane Doe on the ebay, I can understand their hesitancy. A piece of coal is not as easily verified as a genuine Rolex watch. So for those sales where the coal has passed from one hand to another, I don't have an answer other than the level of trust you have.

I have noted a number of people raise the issue that each certificate has the same number (94/0036). I think that is explained by the fact the expedition classed all coal recovered with that number, and kept it as they split it into many pieces.

On the ethical question, other answers in the string have dealt well with it.

Frank