Violin that played as the Titanic sank found after nearly 100 years - VIDEO

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After almost a century it's reportedly been found: the famous violin played by the ship's bandleader as the Titanic sank.

The long missing violin that played as the tragic vessel slowly sank has been found and now careful tests are being conducted to establish its authenticity.

Titanic enthusiasts know the legend: that Wallace Hartley and seven fellow band players heroically played on until waist-deep in freezing water as the stricken ship disappeared below the ocean waves.

Hartley’s violin — a gift from his fiancee Maria Robinson — was reportedly found strapped to his chest in its case when his body was eventually recovered from the icy Atlantic waters.

But sadly it was never returned to his grieving family and in fact has been missing ever since.

But now just weeks before the 99th anniversary of Titanic tragedy, experts believe they have found the violin and unravelled the mystery of its dissapearence.

The secret of the missing violin has been uncovered and already there are plans to take it on a world tour before putting it up for sale next year where it could fetch in excess of $12 million.

"Other than retrieving the bow of the ship, this must be the most symbolic artefact of the Titanic sinking ever likely to be sold," Titanic author Steve Turner told the Belfast Telegraph. "Everyone concerned has been sworn to secrecy."

"Other than admitting to me the violin exists and that the photos I saw were genuine, the auctioneers won’t be giving out any more information until an announcement is made about its sale."