British Museum recovers more objects that were missing from its collection

The British Museum has announced the recovery of a further 268 missing and stolen objects following last year’s theft scandal.  

The figure takes the total number of recovered items to 626 out of the approximately 1,500 objects, mainly classical gems and gold jewellery, that were discovered last year to be missing from the institution’s ancient Mediterranean collections. It is believed the objects were taken over a 20-year period and sold via online platforms such as eBay.

The recovery operation is global, with objects now recovered from across Europe and North America. The museum confirmed that it is currently working on new leads for around 100 items.

“Few expected to see this day, and even I had my doubts,” said British Museum chair George Osborne.

“When we announced the devastating news that objects had been stolen from our collection, people understandably assumed that was it - we were unlikely to ever see more than a handful of them again. That’s usually the history with thefts like this. 

“But the team at the British Museum refused to give up. Through clever detective work and a network of well-wishers we’ve achieved a remarkable result: more than 600 of the objects are back with us, and a further 100 have been identified – in total almost half the stolen items that we could recover.

"It’s a great result but we’re not resting here - the hunt goes on for the remaining missing objects. I urge anyone with any information to follow the example of all who’ve helped us and get in touch.”

The museum estimates that approximately 2,000 items were affected in total, with 1,500 missing or stolen and a further 500 damaged but still present in the museum. 

Of the damaged items, around 350 items had portions of gold removed, which the institution says is unlikely to be recoverable, and around 140 were damaged by tool marks.   

The British Museum has launched legal proceedings against its former curator Peter Higgs, who was fired from his position as acting head of the Greece and Rome Department in July 2023 for gross misconduct.

In a High Court hearing in March, lawyers for the museum said there was “compelling evidence” that Higgs had “abused his position of trust”, which he denies.

The British Museum’s barrister Daniel Burgess said Higgs had tried to “cover his tracks” by using fake names, creating false documents, manipulating the museum’s records and selling items at less than their value.

High Court judge Heather Williams ordered Higgs to list or return any items in his possession, along with the disclosure of his eBay and PayPal records, according to the Associated Press.

Higgs denies the allegations and intends to dispute the museum’s legal claim.

A Metropolitan Police investigation is ongoing. The Met has reportedly given an independent computer specialist temporary access to devices seized during a search of Higgs’s home on 16 August 2023.

No criminal charges have been brought in relation to the case.