• Rare Titanic relic set for auction at £250,000–£350,000 ($312,000–$438,000)
• Sale coincides with memorial events marking the 114th anniversary of the disaster in Southampton

A rare piece of Titanic history is set to go under the hammer in the UK, with a survivor’s life jacket expected to fetch between £250,000 and £350,000 ($312,000–$438,000).

Described by auctioneers as a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity for collectors, the item is believed to be the only known survivor’s life jacket ever offered for public sale in more than a century.

The auction comes as Southampton prepares to mark the 114th anniversary of the ship’s sinking with memorial services honouring victims of the 1912 tragedy.

The piece will be sold at Henry Aldridge and Son auction house in Wiltshire, which says the item stands out for its rarity and historical significance.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge called it an “iconic and deeply moving” artefact, noting that it bears signatures from survivors, including first-class passenger Laura Mabel Francatelli, who used it before boarding a lifeboat.

The cream-coloured jacket features 12 pockets along with shoulder and side straps, and is due to be auctioned on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Southampton will hold a formal ceremony on Wednesday at the Titanic Engineers’ Memorial, honouring more than 540 residents and 35 engineers and electricians who died in the sinking.

The event will include readings, wreath-laying, and a two-minute silence, with local officials and maritime representatives taking part in commemorations of one of history’s most enduring maritime disasters.