Original Ledger Page for Titanic Insurance Policy Sold for $25K
The original ledger page of an insurance policy for the ill-fated Titanic was sold at a New York auction for $25,000.
The insurance policy number 391550, issued by the Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company, was written on behalf of the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company Limited, better known as the White Star Line. The auction was held on April 23 at Doyle New York. The buyer wished to remain anonymous, the auction firm said.
The ledger page that belonged to the Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company states that the steamer Titanic is “on risk” with the company for the period from March 30, 1912 to March 30, 1913.
Atlantic Mutual took only a part of the risk in the Titanic, with the rest shared by a syndicate of insurance companies led by the Prudential Insurance Company in London.
A hand-written addendum notes that the policy is “to include the trip from Belfast to Southampton sailing on or after March 30th 1912…and the risk of trials on said trip, if any.” The document is signed and dated March 27, 1912.
Also included in the auction were various other documents. One document, prepared by the ship’s officers for insurance purposes, provides an account of the disaster. It reads, “The ship struck a ‘growler’ or a small low-lying iceberg with the bluff of her starboard bow, making a comparatively slight jar with a grinding sound.” There were also eight insurance documents issued by Atlantic Mutual for goods carried on the Titanic.
The Titanic sank, a total loss, on April 15, 1912 on its maiden voyage from Southampton in England to New York, with the loss of over 1,500 lives.