A RARE and possibly unique ticket for the launch of Titanic in Belfast on May 31, 1911, is set to fetch between 50,000 and 70,000 dollars (£31,000 to £44,000) at an auction in America next month.

The auction is one of many events being held to mark the centenary of Titanic’s sinking, on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in April, 1912.

The ticket, coming up for sale at Bonhams in New York on Sunday, April 15 – is particularly rare because it is unused and still has its un-torn, perforated stub attached.

A century ago the arrival of Titanic in Southampton was greeted with great optimism as there was widespread unemployment amongst local seafarers.

As hundreds of Southampton men signed on with the White Star Line the city was to suffer the greatest loss of life compared with any other port.

Gregg Dietrich, marine expert at Bonhams in New York, said: “Titanic launch tickets are rare, but the one we are selling is the rarest as it is the only fully intact ticket in existence.

“Only one or two other launch tickets have come up for sale, but they were not fully intact.’’ Around 100,000 people attended the launch of Titanic, but in a move away from tradition owners White Star Line and Belfast builders Harland & Wolff did not formally name or christen the liner and many now believe the break with tradition was the beginning of the end for the ill-fated luxury liner.

Titanic struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York and sank on April 15, 1912, with the loss of 1,517 lives, in one of the worst maritime disasters of all time.

After her launch, Titanic was towed to a fitting out berth where over the next year her engines, funnels and superstructure were installed and her interior was fitted out.

The work took longer than expected due to design changes.

The ironic twist is that is if the Titanic had been finished earlier, she might have avoided the lethal iceberg.

Find out more about Titanic

You can find out more about Titanic and the disaster's impact on Southampton with the Daily Echo.

Throughout the coming months ahead of the centenary in April, we will be showcasing unique content in our Titanic mini-site.

In the meantime, you can discover key sites across the city relating to the tragedy, the latest news relating to the ship or even find out some of the key facts behind the vessel, her demise and the people who perished and survived, including a list of all the crew members and the locations of their homes in Southampton.