Derby Museum and Art Gallery has reported the theft of £53,000 worth of coins, medals and watches from its storage facility.
It is believed that the items were stolen between 2 May and 19 July. Museum staff had recently worked on the collection, but the theft only came to light when Derby Museum and Art Gallery was contacted with a loan request.
There were no signs of a break-in at the premises, and the police said they have not ruled out the possibility that the theft “was carried out with inside knowledge”.
The Metropolitan Police Arts Crime Unit and Arts Council England’s security advisory service have been contacted regarding the incident, and additional security measures and procedures have been put in place at the storage facility. Derbyshire Police has launched a public appeal for information in recovering the items.
Martin Repton, Derby City Council cabinet member for leisure and culture, said: “This is the first time that we have fallen victim to a crime of this nature in the storage facility. The issue here is not just about the values of the stolen items but also the historical importance of many of the pieces.
“Our ultimate fear is that some of these items which are of a relative low monetary value could potentially be discarded by the culprit or culprits meaning that they would be lost forever with little chance of recovery.”
About 40 watches were among the stolen items, including three 18th-century watches attributed to the scientist John Whitehurst and about 15 gold and silver watches.
The stolen coins range from a penny of Henry II from the 12th century to late 20th-century issues of Elizabeth II. Two collections of 19th-century trade tokens and medals are also missing.
Derby Museum and Art Gallery said some of the items might be difficult to positively identify if they come to light. The coins and medals have no museum markings while accession numbers marked on the watches could be easily removed.
More thefts
Meanwhile, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has reported the theft of two items from Nash’s House & New Place in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Rosalyn Sklar, museum collections officer at the trust, said the items – a 17th century bartmankrug and a 16th century Gres de Flandres pot – were on open display at the property and were probably taken by an opportunistic visitor.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust carried out a security review last year but decided to leave out some items that have a relatively low financial value. Following the latest incident, it has removed all items from open display with some moving into alarmed cases and others into storage.
In Sussex, a reward of £2,000 is being put up for the return of stolen military medals and other historical artefacts from the Redoubt Fortress and Military Museum in Eastbourne.
The theft happened at about 11pm on 3 July. The stolen artefacts, estimated to be worth more than £16,000, include a brass bugle with Russian double-headed eagle, a silver cigarette box and numerous medals including an Iraq medal and a Queen Elizabeth Cross.
It is believed that the items were stolen between 2 May and 19 July. Museum staff had recently worked on the collection, but the theft only came to light when Derby Museum and Art Gallery was contacted with a loan request.
There were no signs of a break-in at the premises, and the police said they have not ruled out the possibility that the theft “was carried out with inside knowledge”.
The Metropolitan Police Arts Crime Unit and Arts Council England’s security advisory service have been contacted regarding the incident, and additional security measures and procedures have been put in place at the storage facility. Derbyshire Police has launched a public appeal for information in recovering the items.
Martin Repton, Derby City Council cabinet member for leisure and culture, said: “This is the first time that we have fallen victim to a crime of this nature in the storage facility. The issue here is not just about the values of the stolen items but also the historical importance of many of the pieces.
“Our ultimate fear is that some of these items which are of a relative low monetary value could potentially be discarded by the culprit or culprits meaning that they would be lost forever with little chance of recovery.”
About 40 watches were among the stolen items, including three 18th-century watches attributed to the scientist John Whitehurst and about 15 gold and silver watches.
The stolen coins range from a penny of Henry II from the 12th century to late 20th-century issues of Elizabeth II. Two collections of 19th-century trade tokens and medals are also missing.
Derby Museum and Art Gallery said some of the items might be difficult to positively identify if they come to light. The coins and medals have no museum markings while accession numbers marked on the watches could be easily removed.
More thefts
Meanwhile, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has reported the theft of two items from Nash’s House & New Place in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Rosalyn Sklar, museum collections officer at the trust, said the items – a 17th century bartmankrug and a 16th century Gres de Flandres pot – were on open display at the property and were probably taken by an opportunistic visitor.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust carried out a security review last year but decided to leave out some items that have a relatively low financial value. Following the latest incident, it has removed all items from open display with some moving into alarmed cases and others into storage.
In Sussex, a reward of £2,000 is being put up for the return of stolen military medals and other historical artefacts from the Redoubt Fortress and Military Museum in Eastbourne.
The theft happened at about 11pm on 3 July. The stolen artefacts, estimated to be worth more than £16,000, include a brass bugle with Russian double-headed eagle, a silver cigarette box and numerous medals including an Iraq medal and a Queen Elizabeth Cross.
