Q & A

D.W. of Prospect Bay, Nova Scotia writes:

This is the "White Star" emblem retrieved from the wheelhouse of the S.S. Atlantic @ 25 years ago. The S.S. Atlantic of the White Star line sank at Marr’s Head, Nova Scotia, April 1st 1873 with a loss of 562 lives. The full story of the S.S. Atlantic can be found on a website of that name. I would be interested in finding out the value of this artifact.

We asked Ross Wilson to respond:

Not until the sinking of the RMS TITANIC in 1912 was there a greater loss of life off the East Coast of Canada than from the sinking of the White Star liner 'SS ATLANTIC'. On April 1st, 1873, while on route from Liverpool to New York, the ship, while heading for Halifax to take on coal, ran aground on Mar's Island. High seas, rain and poor visibility hindered rescue efforts and not withstanding the bravery of many local people an estimated 562 passengers lost their lives.

Depending on the events surrounding a ship wreck , artifacts recovered from sunken vessels have a very emotional appeal. Certainly the case with the small (7 1/2"across) 'White Star' insignia that was retrieved from the wheel house of the 'SS ATLANTIC' twenty five years ago. If placed at auction today, and of course depending on who was in the room, I estimate it going for between $350 and $600.