This is the latest in a string of high-water marks for "Titanic-ware" as the centenary of the 1912 disaster looms ever closer.

The Fosbery & Co lifejacket was the star item among 370 lots which drew flocks of collectors from around the world to Devizes, Wiltshire for Henry Aldridge & Son's September 30 Titanic memorabilia auction. The buyer of the lifejacket was a British collector.

Surprisingly, the life-jacket, which was recovered from the water by the cable ship Mackay Bennett, is one of very few to survive. It's thought there are just five in the world.

"In 1912 no-one wanted to collect them," explained Andrew Aldridge. "The ones on bodies would have been disposed of and others would have been put to use on other ships or simply discarded."

The grim memento, which has been exhibited worldwide, is stained with reddish blotches, which could be taken for blood; in fact they are nothing more than rust marks.