Egypt suffered a devastating loss in September when a pharaoh’s priceless bracelet was stolen from a museum in Cairo – and melted down.
Now perpetually misplaced, the bracelet belonged to Pharaoh Usermaatre Amenemope, a Third Intermediate Interval king who possible dominated between 993 and 984 B.C., officers introduced. It was housed within the Egyptian Museum’s restoration laboratory earlier than the theft.
A restoration specialist apparently took the bracelet and transported it to a silver jeweler, who bought the bracelet to a gold jeweler for $3,735.
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The bracelet was then bought to a gold foundry employee for $4,000, who melted it down with different metals earlier than authorities may reserve it. Egyptian officers stated all suspects have been arrested, and authorities are investigating the incident.
It’s uncommon for artifacts to be stolen from museums this fashion – however it’s not with out precedent. See a number of comparable circumstances beneath.
Egypt suffered a loss when Amenemope’s bracelet was stolen and destroyed by thieves for revenue. The bracelet was taken from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, seen above. (Mohamed Elshahed/Anadolu by way of Getty Photos)
‘America’ gold rest room
Although not an historic treasure, the “America” gold rest room sculpture by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan was nonetheless precious.
Within the early morning hours of Sept. 14, 2019, a crew of burglars swiped the totally functioning rest room from England’s Blenheim Palace, the mansion the place Winston Churchill was born.
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The satirical work weighed a whopping 215 kilos and was valued at $3.5 million in 2019. It was insured for 4.8 million kilos, or $6 million, per The Related Press.
In June 2025, two suspects have been jailed in relation to the incident.
The bathroom has by no means been recovered. Authorities consider it was minimize up and bought, AP reported.
The 215-pound gold rest room, insured for $6 million, was stolen from Blenheim Palace and stays lacking to today. (Leon Neal/Getty Photos)
Golden Horns of Gallehus
The Golden Horns of Gallehus have been two of probably the most well-known artifacts from historic Denmark, in accordance with the Nationwide Museum of Denmark.
The artifacts have been unearthed in 1639 in Gallehus, and dated again to round 400 A.D. They have been carved with Nordic and Roman motifs, testifying to cross-cultural alternate in historic Europe.
On the evening of Might 4, 1802, a thief broke into Denmark’s Royal Artwork Museum and took the horns. He then melted them down.
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The destruction of the horns was a heavy loss for Danes, each actually and figuratively. The horns weighed greater than 15 kilos collectively.
Two copies have been made between 1859 and 1860. The recreations are on show on the Nationwide Museum of Denmark, although historians consider they’re possible bigger than the originals.
The Golden Horns of Gallehus have been famously stolen in 1802 and melted, leaving solely later reproductions — such because the one seen right here. (Prisma/Common Photos Group by way of Getty Photos)
Childeric I’s treasure
A treasure hoard belonging to Childeric I, a Fifth century Frankish chief, was stolen practically 200 years in the past.
The College of Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum stated thieves entered France’s nationwide library on Nov. 5, 1831, and stole over 176 kilos price of the treasure.
The golden treasure was all melted down. It was initially found in 1653 close to Tournai, Belgium.
The golden treasure was all melted down.
“A few pieces were retrieved from where they had been hidden in the Seine, including two of the bees,” the museum’s website notes.
“The record of the treasure, however, now exists only in the fine engravings made at the time of its discovery and in some reproductions made for the Habsburgs.”
Childeric I’s Fifth-century hoard, found in 1653, was misplaced after the 1831 theft and subsequent destruction. Pictured right here, a remaining golden object from Childeric I. (De Agostini by way of Getty Photos)
British Museum artifacts
A former worker was accused of stealing from the British Museum in 2023.
Greater than 1,800 artifacts went lacking from the archives. Based on a 2023 press launch from the museum, officers stated a lot of the artifacts have been small items saved in storage.
“They include gold jewelry and gems of semi-precious stones and glass dating from the 15th century B.C. to the 19th century A.D.,” the assertion stated. “None had recently been on public display, and they were kept primarily for academic and research purposes.”
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In 2024, the British Museum launched a civil go well with in opposition to the worker, who labored within the museum’s Greece and Rome division for greater than twenty years.
Per AP, the museum recovered 356 objects as of July 2024. The theft remains to be beneath investigation by British authorities.
Hartwig Fischer, director of the British Museum, referred to as the incident “highly unusual” on the time.
“The museum apologizes for what has happened,” stated Fischer. “We have already tightened our security arrangements, and we are working alongside outside experts to complete a definitive account of what is missing, damaged and stolen.”
Within the 2023 British Museum theft, greater than 1,800 artifacts vanished, although some objects have been later recovered. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto by way of Getty Photos)
New Bedford Whaling Museum artifacts
An worker on the New Bedford Whaling Museum in Massachusetts was accused of stealing dozens of artifacts in 2023.
Many stolen items from the New Bedford Whaling Museum have been bought to pawn and vintage outlets regionally. (Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe by way of Getty Photos)
Authorities have been alerted after a store proprietor in West Bridgewater purchased a number of artifacts from Burchell and suspected that they have been stolen.
As of 2023, a few of the objects have been nonetheless reported lacking from the museum.
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Burchell pleaded responsible in Fall River Superior Court docket in 2024, to at least one depend of larceny over $1,200 and 6 counts of larceny beneath $1,200, in accordance with SouthCoastToday.
