A cigar box that belonged to the captain of the Titanic has been discovered gathering dust on top of a bedroom cabinet in the Liverpool region.
The walnut humidor carries the distinctive emblem of the White Star Line and bears the monogramme "EJS", the initials of Edward John Smith, master of the ill-fated vessel.
It was identified by auctioneer John Crane after he was invited to value a number of antiques for pensioner Hilary Mee at her home on Merseyside.
It is expected to fetch between #10,000 and #20,000 at an auction in Liverpool on 19th May.
Delighted Mr Crane said: "When I was handed this box the White Star Line logo immediately caught my eye.
"At first I couldn't work-out what the initials stood for, but when I got back to the office and did some research the penny dropped that it was Edward John Smith himself.
"I must confess a slight tingle went down my spine when I realised what it was. This is a most astonishing find.
"We're approaching the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic, and yet a piece like this was there, simply waiting to come to light.
"I'm delighted to be able to identify it as a personal item that belonged to the captain of the most famous passenger liner that ever sailed.
"It's completely unique and probably one of the most important pieces of Titanic-associated memorabilia to come on the market in recent years."
Experts have confirmed the provenance of the 12-inch wide humidor, which weighs three pounds, complete with its ivory white star and brass fittings.
The box, made from walnut and lined with camper wood, was designed to hold 40 of the finest Havana cigars.
It is thought it would have stood on the captain's desk at his home in Southampton or the shipping line's office in Liverpool.
The current owner of the humidor, Hilary Mee, explained that it had been given to her father, who is aged in his late 80s, by relatives of Captain Smith's widow, Sarah.
Mrs Mee, 64, of Southport, explained said: "It was complete shock to learn it was formerly the property of such a famous figure in history.
"We really had no idea of its connection to the Titanic. It's just been lying round the house in a bedroom on top of a cabinet for nearly 20 years.
"According to my father he was given the box by a member the family of Captain Smith's wife.
"It has been passed down through two generations before Doris Harrington, Captain Smith's great-niece gave it to my parents.
"It's been in our family since the early 1990s but we were never really aware of its real significance.
"It will be really interesting to see how much it will fetch."
Maritime history expert Peter Boyd-Smith, who specialises in ocean liner memorabilia reckons buyers will compete for an important part of Titanic history.
Mr Boyd-Smith said: "It really is an incredible find, purely for the reason that very few personal items that belonged to Captain Smith have ever been located.
"After the death of Captain Smith his widow moved to Liverpool, which would explain how the box ended up in the North.
"It's a very special piece. It should go for in excess of #10,000."
Captain Smith's cigar box will go under the hammer at Cato Crane Auctioneers, Liverpool 19th May.
* Born in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent in 1850, Captain Smith was the son of a potter.
He attended the Etruria British School until the age of 13 before moving to Liverpool to begin a seafaring career with shipping line Gibson & Co.
Joining White Star Line in 1880 he gained his first command in 1887 going on to captain ships including the Republic, the Coptic, Majestic, Baltic, Adriatic, Olympic and of the infamous steamship - The RMS Titanic.
The RMS Titanic hit an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City, and sank on 15th April 1912.
The 1,517 people perished, including Captain Smith, in one of the worst maritime disasters in world history.
Nicole English, Edmonton, Canada around 2 months, 1 week ago