NORTH ATLANTIC — The U.S. government formally opposed a plan by RMS Titanic Inc. to auction more than 100 artifacts recovered from the wreckage of the Titanic. Unsealed court documents indicate the U.S. government argued the sale would violate a 1990s agreement connected to salvage rights.

RMS Titanic Inc., a Georgia-based company that owns exclusive salvage rights to the Titanic wreck in the North Atlantic, proposed auctioning the artifacts as part of a global exhibition tour in four cities. The company has retrieved thousands of items and chunks of the ship's hull since 1987. Court documents referenced items such as a bronze cherub, a necklace of gold nuggets, and a heart-shaped pendant as potential auction items. The specific locations for the global tour have not been publicly revealed.

The U.S. government, represented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for U.S. interests and oversight at the wreck site, contends a sale would violate RMS Titanic Inc.'s legal obligations. NOAA maintains that the company is bound by a 1990s agreement stating it would never sell artifacts in exchange for exclusive salvage rights. The U.S. government wrote in court documents that the company "does not seek the Court's approval, does not believe that approval is required, and asserts that it is not restricted in its ability to sell" the artifacts.

Attorneys for RMS Titanic Inc. stated in a federal court filing that the proposed auction arrangement would not violate existing court orders and agreements. The company generates revenue by exhibiting retrieved artifacts. A life jacket worn by a passenger sold for just over $900,000 in April. Additionally, a gold pocket watch given to the ship captain who rescued survivors sold for nearly $2 million in 2024.

Richard Daynard, a law professor at Northeastern University School of Law, commented on the situation. Daynard said, "The rules governing the display and sale of Titanic artifacts are intended to preserve the wreckage for the benefit of the public and so it can't be 'picked up by billionaires for further display of their wealth and power.'" He added, "If it's something where someone can walk through their house and say 'Yes, I bought this for $5 million and it's original from the Titanic,' that's not a good thing." Greg Stone, a veteran ocean explorer and ocean scientist, stated that he did not have a problem with careful recovery using proper archaeological techniques. He said, "I don't have a problem with people recovering artifacts from the Titanic as long as it's done careful, with proper archaeological techniques." Stone added, "I'd feel better if it was a nonprofit enterprise." The Titanic sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Europe to New York, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,500 people.