00:00A heart-shaped pendant, a bronze cherub, and a necklace made of gold nuggets.
00:04All three came from the wreckage of the Titanic, and for 40 years, selling them was illegal.
00:09So why is one company now trying to auction them off, and why is the government fighting to stop it?
00:14Here's what's happening.
00:15Only one company can pull items off the Titanic.
00:18RMS Titanic Incorporated.
00:21A federal court gave them that right in 1994.
00:24The catch?
00:25They promised to keep everything together and never sell a piece.
00:28Just study it and display it.
00:30And for decades, that was the deal.
00:32The money came from museums and exhibits.
00:35Until now.
00:36Newly unsealed court documents show the company wants to auction over 100 artifacts,
00:41then tour the rest through four cities they wouldn't name.
00:44They also tried to keep it a secret, calling it sensitive business information.
00:48A judge unsealed it anyway.
00:50Now, why does this even matter?
00:51Well, look at what these things are worth.
00:54At auction, a passenger's life jacket sold for over $900,000.
00:57A pocket watch tied to the rescue?
01:00Almost $2 million.
01:02RMS Titanic Incorporated says it's breaking no rules.
01:06Their lawyers say the sale violates no court order, needs no approval, and nothing stops them from selling.
01:11Their supporters say these recoveries fund expeditions and share the Titanic's story with millions.
01:16But NOAA, the federal agency watching the wreck, disagrees.
01:20They argue the sale breaks the company's promise in that all 5,000 artifacts must stay together.
01:26Archaeologists and historians worldwide are petitioning to block it, warning that once this history is split up and sold, it's
01:32gone for good.
01:33And so it lands with the same Virginia judge who's been watching this wreck for decades.
01:37One side wants the collection kept whole forever, the other sees a hundred priceless objects, and buyers ready to pay
01:44millions.
01:45So where do you land?
01:46If digging up these artifacts funds the science, should the people who pulled them up get to sell?
01:50Or, once something becomes history, is it no one's to sell?
01:54Drop your take in the comments and follow us here for more.
Comments