Titanic violin sells for record price at London auction.

A violin that was played by the bandleader on the shit Titanic' was auctioned off in the United Kingdom. Officials said the Titanic violin drew about $1.7 million, at auction, officials say.

The Titanic violin is believed to be the one that was played by William Hartley as the Titanic went down.

The Titanic violin was sold at Henry Aldridge and Son Auctioneers in Devizes, England, on Saturday, October 19. According to reports, Hartley's body was pulled from the water with his violin case still strapped to his back.

The Titanic violin comes with an engraving from Wallace Hartley's fiancé, Maria Robinson.

According to veteran collector Craig Sopin, the $1.7 million for the Titanic violin makes it the highest amount ever paid for memorabilia from the iconic sunken passenger ship. An original menu sold for about $100,000.

Sopin said “This figure is going to be hard to beat. I can't think of anything else that is more iconic to come off that ship."
Sopin was part of the team that helped authenticate the fact the violin came from the Titanic.

The leader of the band that was playing on the Titanic, Wallace Hartley, played to calm passengers even as the ship sank beneath. James Cameron recreated the scene in his blockbuster movie "Titanic."

In the movie Hartley and his band played "Nearer, My God, to Thee" as the Titanic sank.

The damaged Titanic violin was found in the attic of a home in Britain in 2006. According to a statement released by Henry Aldridge and Son, which hosted the auction in Wiltshire, England, the Titanic violin was authenticated through testing of salt water deposits.

The buyer and seller’s names were not released.