Stolen British Museum Treasures Worth Thousands Are Selling On eBay For Cheap

Photo 36534946 © Thomas Dutour | Dreamstime.com

Forget the gift shop; less scrupulous individuals might unearth an amazing bargain on online resale marketplaces—but risk getting in trouble with law enforcement.

The British Museum has been a “victim of theft,” the establishment proclaims, and at least one of its artifacts has turned up on eBay for a surprisingly low price. The piece of Roman jewelry, worth as much as US$63,780, was listed for a minimum price of £40 (US$51), the Telegraph reports.

Some of the stolen items have emerged on the e-commerce site as early on as 2016, leading the British Museum and its antiquities experts to suspect an inside job.

Most of the museum’s missing and damaged pieces are “gold jewelry and gems of semi-precious stones and glass dating from the 15th century BC to the 19th century” that were small enough to evade detection, notes the organization. They were also stowed away in a storeroom for academic and research purposes, which once again points to a member of the staff being responsible for the relics’ disappearance.

A stolen piece of Roman jewelry crafted with onyx was found on eBay in 2016. A dealer told the Telegraph it may be worth US$31,890 to US$63,780, but it was going for cheap on the website.

The discovery of missing relics appearing on eBay prompted an internal investigation, resulting in the dismissal of a curator suspected of taking the prized items. The British Museum says it is taking legal action against the member of the staff, and that the matter is being looked into by the Metropolitan Police’s Economic Crime Command.

With eight million artifacts under its belt, the British Museum hasn’t fully cataloged its collection, leaving smaller pieces like the missing jewelry more vulnerable to theft. Though, some might argue that the incident is a full-circle moment for the institution, as the museum has been dubbed the “largest receiver of stolen goods.”

Sir Nigel Boardman, a former trustee and one of the individuals leading an independent review of the museum’s security, says the establishment is determined to “get to the bottom of what happened, and ensure lessons are learned.”

The independent investigator adds that the museum’s recovery program “will work to ensure the stolen items are returned to the Museum,” but it will be “a painstaking job, involving internal and external experts.”

[via Artnet News, The Telegraph, Benzinga, cover photo 36534946 © Thomas Dutour | Dreamstime.com]