Britain mints coin honoring Titanic

BELFAST, Northern Ireland, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- The British Mint has created a coin observing the 100th anniversary of the 1912 sinking of the Titanic, which killed more than 1,500 people.

Royal Mint engraver Lee Robert Jones designed the 5 pound ($7.91), depicting the doomed ship and Thane, the goddess of death, the Belfast (Northern Ireland) Telegraph reported Friday.

"Thane, the goddess of death, is to reflect the significance of the event -- she symbolizes respect and sorrow for the loss that occurred," Jones told the Telegraph.

The image of Thane receiving the body of a seaman was used on the Titanic Memorial in Belfast.

The Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean April 15, 1912 -- on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York. All but 705 of the 2,228 people on board died.

"The passing of 100 years has not lessened the interest in the tragic outcome of her maiden voyage, the personal stories of those on board or the achievement of the iconic ship as a feat of British engineering," said Kevin Clancy, director of the Royal Mint Museum. "The Royal Mint's coin will mark this occasion and, we hope, will be passed on to future generations to honor the lives that were lost, underlining the significance of RMS Titanic in British history."

Though the coin is considered legal tender, the Royal Mint will not release it into circulation. The coin has been made available for purchase for $20.56 -- or $130.62 for a silver proof.