Titanic coin with coal

[tamina]

I am considering purchasing a sliver titanic coin which has an actual piece of coal from the Titanic embedded in it, my family are saying it's in bad taste to own such a thing and are making me feel guilty about it.

What should i do? I really want it to add my Titanic centenary coin collection but now i don't know what to do.

[Tom McCluskie]

Your family are correct, avoid such trash like the plague. In any even what guarantee do you have that the coal is a genuinely recovered item from the sea bed? Do NOT fall for the date scam...coal is millions of years old not just from 1912.

[tamina]

The coin is from Westminister, a VERY reputable british coin company so there's not doubt it's real.

The coal didn't belong to anyone so i don't see the harm in wanting to own a tiny peice of maritime history to add to my vast and very expensive coin collection.

Anyhow i have decided to buy it ... i am nervous b/c deep down it doesn't sit right with me either but the crazy coin collector in me is compelling me to own it ...

[Tom McCluskie]

You misunderstand my point Tamina, I was referring to the piece of coal. Many years ago small pieces of coal appeared on the market as being from the RMS Titanic because it could be dated back to 1912. Of course it could as coal is millions of years old but that fact still didn't stop the advertising blurb about it being "genuine" Titanic coal because of it's age. What guarantee, if any, have you been provided with that this coal actually was recovered from the wreck?

I have no doubt your medal/coin is a very nice collectors piece but it is obviously a newly manufactured item and really cannot therefore be considered as a "piece of history" as compared to an item from the period directly associated with the vessel or it's owners or builders. I hope your purchase will provide you with hours of pleasure when added to your collection.

[tamina]

Well then i guess there is no guarantee that's it's genuine coal from the Titanic, the only thing i have to go by is the company said it was recovered from the wreck in the Expedition in the year 2000.

Whether or not it's real it's still a pretty solid silver coin commemorating 100 years of the sinking.

I tell you, the Titanic centenary has cost me a small fortune this year

[Michael H Standart]

>>What should i do? I really want it to add my Titanic centenary coin collection but now i don't know what to do. <<

It's your call to make. I'm sure it's a pretty coin, and the people offering it may even be able to provide solid provanance for it. Can't say as I know one way or another.

That much said, I'm with Tom on this one, not only for the reasons he stated but because it's unlikely that the coin will have any real value from the point of view of the numismatist. I've been a collector of coins and banknotes (All of which is locked up in a safety deposit box for obvious reasons.) The really serious numismatist is interested primarily in coins and currency which either are or have been legal tender.

Commemoratives have a place, but this coin isn't even legal tender. Some niche collectors might have an interest in it, but I wouldn't touch it.

[tamina]

It's a £5 coin, silver, don't know if that makes a difference cause i really don't know much about the subject. I'm just a collector of commemortive Titanic memorabilia.

It doesn't bother me about the value cause i'm not in it to make a profit, i brought it cause i like it.

[Wes Young]

This Titanic coal thing has been going on for years now.
I remember when you could buy a small piece of coal in a nice black box, with a certificate of origin from RMS Titanic Inc and IFREMER.
From memory, they had a US Supreme Court order for exclusive salvage rights but were only able to sell coal recovered from the seafloor near the wreck, as opposed to taking it directly from Titanics' bunkers, to sell to private collectors.
Back then, last century in fact, Titanic coal could only be purchased directly from them, so questions of authenticity were largely a moot point.
I'm sure there is diverse opinion on here about the merits, or otherwise, of RMS Titanic Inc and thier activities, but I for one gladly paid to visit their exhibition of recovered items when it visited here.
Today, it seems every second eBay store has 'Titanic coal,' or something like a coin or necklace with said material embedded in it.
As a starting position I agree with Tom on this one.
From a personal perspective I find the idea of a coin, necklace or some other trinket containing Titanic wreckage quite debased and opportunistic.
You wouldn't buy a coin containing concrete dust from the World Trade Center site would you?
The only difference between the two events is the passage of time and the associated loss of a living connection to Titanic, which still remains for 9/11
However, in saying that I also understand many people has a fascination with the wreck and the Titanic story.
I'm happy to admit that I own one of those small black boxes of coal, purchased in my youth, which now sits proudly alongside myriad pieces of original White Star items that I'm lucky enough to own.
For many, the purchase of IFREMER recovered coal represented the only feasible opportunity to acquire something from Titanic.

So I suppose it comes down to personal ethics, authenticity and the reason behind the purchase. The original release of 'Titanic coal,' was quite respectful with funds going in part toward the on-going conservation work of RMS Titanic Inc, but I take the point they were a commercial entity.

Anyway, that's just my five cents worth.

Suffice to say I wont be buying my wife a 'Titanic coal necklace' any time soon.

[tamina]

I'm confused, you think it's ok to own a piece of Titanic coal without being embedded in a coin, necklace etc?
What's the difference? The difference is my coal looks much prettier than yours!

Those ebay sites that sell "Titanic coal "are ALL fake i know ...i would never bother. The company i purchased from, Danbury Mint and Westmister are legit reputable companies who sell the best quality items. I serioulsy doubt they would falsely advertise something like this. Whether or not it's actual coal from Titanic i guess we'll never know, i chose to believe it is so. What i have is a nice sold silver £5 coin with Titanic coal .. i'm happy with my purchase.

Also i would NOT buy ANYTHING containing dust or whatever from 9/11 that's morbid cause it could contain some poor souls DNA or something.

The way i see it, it's coal at the end of the day ... it never belonged to anyone so it's hardly grave digging, i really don't see what all the fuss about.