The gold pocket watch of John Jacob Astor, one of the richest people of the period who lost his life in the sinking of the Titanic, was put up for sale today by the UK-based auction house Henry Aldridge and Son as part of the collection called Titanic and Shipping Memories. The gold watch was valued at approximately 190 thousand dollars at the auction, where many souvenirs from the Titanic, such as a violin, a wallet and a pair of cufflinks, were sold.
HE WAS AMONG THE RICHEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD
John Jacob Astor (47) was among the richest people in the world with a fortune of 87 million dollars under the economic conditions of the period. According to eyewitnesses, during the events that started with the Titanic hitting the iceberg on April 14, 1912, Astor was seen taking his wife onto the rescue boat and chatting with another person on the deck while waiting for his turn. Astor’s lifeless body was pulled from the water seven days later, and as was customary at the time, his identity was identified from the initials embroidered on the collar of his jacket. (DHA)
