I believe almost everyone has heard of the British passenger liner, RMS Titanic, that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in the early morning of April 15, 1912 after colliding with an iceberg. Despite a 300 foot gash in her side, the Titanic remained afloat for 2-1/2 hrs after the collision, allowing some of her passengers to escape in lifeboats. Of the 2,224 passengers on board during her maiden voyage, more than 1,500 died… making it one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in modern history. But, have you ever heard of the Lusitania?
On May 7, 1915 a torpedo was shot from a German submarine and subsequently sank the RMS Lusitania. In contrast to the Titanic, the Lusitania sank in just 18 minutes after a mysterious second explosion that has never been explained rocked the ship. This event catalyzed the United States involvement into World War I… a war in which President Wilson didn’t want to be a part of. There is a conspiracy theory that for over 100 years has remained shrouded in mystery. Was the ship deliberately put at risk? Was the attack really necessary? Did the British Navy know that the Lusitania would be attacked and sunk prior to it happening?
Ronald J. Walters, an author living in Traverse City, Michigan, has always been intrigued by the Lusitania and the fact that its place in history has been obscured by the Titanic’s sinking. His 3 year research project culminated in the book, The Lusitania Conspiracy.
Tangible Assets, LLC currently has in its collection of hard assets several medals produced by renowned German artist, Karl Goetz, commemorating the sinking of the Lusitania. Included in this collection is a rare medal that was incorrectly created with the wrong date, which made some people wonder if Goetz had prior knowledge of the attack. Most everyone assumes that Goetz was a patriot and simply made a mistake based on misinformation.