Letter Written by Titanic Passenger Days Before the Ship Sank Sells for Nearly $400,000 at Auction

Archibald Gracie's letter; RMS Titanic.

A rare letter written onboard the Titanic by one of its most famous survivors, Colonel Archibald Gracie, has sold for £300,000 ($399,000) at auction. The letter, penned just days before the ship’s tragic sinking, was addressed to the seller’s great-uncle on April 10, 1912. In it, Gracie described the Titanic as "a fine ship" but added, "I shall await my journey's end before I pass judgment on her."

This undated handout picture provided by the auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son, England, shows a lettercard, penned by one of the Titanic's most well-known survivors from onboard the ship days before it sank, which has sold for 300,000 pounds ($399,000) at auction

The letter, sold to a private collector in the United States, far surpassed its estimated value of £60,000. Auction house Henry Aldridge & Son in Wiltshire, England, handled the sale. Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge called the letter an "exceptional museum grade piece," emphasizing its historical significance.

This undated handout picture provided by the auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son, England, shows a lettercard, penned by one of the Titanic's most well-known survivors from onboard the ship days before it sank, which has sold for 300,000 pounds ($399,000) at auction

This note is believed to be the only surviving letter written by Gracie from onboard the Titanic. The ship, famously deemed “unsinkable,” struck an iceberg and sank off the coast of Newfoundland, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,500 passengers and crew during its maiden voyage.

Gracie boarded the Titanic in Southampton and was assigned first-class cabin C51. When disaster struck, he jumped from the sinking vessel and managed to climb onto an overturned collapsible lifeboat. He was eventually rescued and brought aboard the R.M.S. Carpathia, the ship that saved many Titanic survivors.

This undated handout picture provided by the auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son, England, shows a lettercard, penned by one of the Titanic's most well-known survivors from onboard the ship days before it sank, which has sold for 300,000 pounds ($399,000) at auction

After returning to New York City, Gracie authored The Truth About the Titanic, widely regarded as one of the most detailed firsthand accounts of the disaster. However, Gracie never fully recovered from the hypothermia he suffered during the ordeal and died later that year due to complications from diabetes.

The letter was postmarked in Queenstown, Ireland, now known as Cobh, one of the Titanic’s final stops before it embarked across the Atlantic.

Part of Gracie's letter, written on April 10, 1912.