It has been a hundred years since the Titanic sank and yet the ship and the tragedy that befell it continue to captivate hearts and minds.

The Royal Mint has released the Titanic £5 coin in remembrance of the 100th anniversary of the historic ships' maiden voyage in 1912.

The coin has been designed by Royal Mint engraver, Lee Robert Jones.

It depicts the unmistakable profile of RMS Titanic with the goddess Thane looking down on the ship as it sails through the Atlantic Ocean.

The marble figure of the goddess was erected in Belfast in 1920 in memory of those who died and still stands in the city, home of the Harland and Wolff shipyard where the Titanic was constructed.

The Titanic was the largest passenger steamship in the world at the time and set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York on 10 April 1912.

There were 2,223 people on board the White Star liner. More than 1,500 of them would perish when the ship struck an iceberg late on 14 April 1912, sinking less than three hours later.

Commenting on the new coin, Dr Kevin Clancy, Director of The Royal Mint Museum, said: "The story of Titanic has long captured imaginations.

"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.

"The Royal Mint’s coin will mark this occasion and, we hope, will be passed on to future generations to honour the lives that were lost, underlining the significance of RMS Titanic in British history."