On April 10, 1912, the RMS Titanic - the largest ship afloat - left Southampton, England, on her maiden voyage to New York City. White Star Line, builders of the massive ocean liner, had spared no expense in assuring her luxury. A legend even before she sailed, her passengers were a mixture of the world's wealthiest basking in the elegance of first class accommodations and immigrants packed into steerage. She was touted as the safest ship ever built - so safe that she carried only 20 lifeboats, enough to accommodate fewer than half of her 2,223 passengers and crew. Considered "unsinkable,” it was assumed the lifeboats would only be necessary to rescue survivors of other sinking ships. Confidently, Captain Edward Smith pushed the ship at top speed through the icy waters in an attempt towin the coveted Blue Riband, a prestigious award given to the fastest passenger liner to cross the Atlantic. Four days into her journey, on the clear, crisp night of April 14, the RMS Titanic struckan iceberg at 11:40 P.M. Originally thought to be a minor collision with little effect on the mammoth vessel, it soon became apparent something was horribly wrong as icy water poured through the ship.An SOS was sent out to neighboring ships. Forty miles away, the Carpathia picked up the ship's distress call and made way at full speed through the ice-filled Northern Sea. It would be too late, however. By the time the Carpathia arrived, all that remained of the Titanic was a handful of lifeboats filled with just 706 shocked survivors. More than 100 years after the tragic voyage of the RMS Titanic, it is the memory of the more than 1,500 souls lost that has made its legend a cautionary tale about the perils of human pride and its fragility. Now you have the incredible opportunity to add a silver-plated tribute to the Titanic to your private collection with this AMERICAN MINT EXCLUSIVE masterpiece. This brilliant coin is an impressive 2.75” in diameter and has been luxuriously plated in .999 pure silver. Meticulously reproduced from a photograph of her maiden voyage, the highly detailed image of the Titanic is beautifully layered in 24k gold on the obverse. The reverse of the coin features a sepia-tone image of the Memoriam held in honor of the captain and crew. A fitting tribute to this century-old legend, it comes in its own protective capsule to preserve its luster for future generations and includes a Certificate of Authenticity. As with every item American Mint offers, your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed.