£50,000 Reward Offered in Unsolved Antique Coin Theft

An award of £50,000 has been made available in an effort to resolve the unresolved case concerning a segment of Scotland’s most ancient coin collection, which was stolen seventeen years ago. This collection, comprising approximately 1,000 coins with an estimated value exceeding £500,000, was removed from the residence of Lord and Lady Stewartby in Broughton, near Peebles, during 2007. Among the stolen items were coins originating from as early as 1136, the period when the initial Scottish coins were produced. Crimestoppers Scotland expressed its anticipation that this reward could facilitate the retrieval of the coins, enabling them to be reunited with the remaining portion of the collection housed at the University of Glasgow’s Hunterian Museum. The incident of theft occurred during the night of June 6-7, 2007. Despite requests for vigilance circulated among coin dealers, the collection has not been located. The late Lord Stewartby had amassed this collection since his childhood. A reward for the return of the pilfered coins was previously extended in November 2008, followed by a renewed plea for details almost five years subsequent to the theft. The matter also received attention on Crimewatch in 2012; however, even with a positive public response, the coins remain untraced. Lord Stewartby bequeathed the remaining part of his collection to the Hunterian Museum in 2017. Through a contribution from an undisclosed benefactor, Crimestoppers is now providing £50,000 for any information that results in the retrieval of the missing coins. Lady Stewartby expressed her complete endorsement of the appeal. She stated, “My late husband was five years old when he was given his first Scottish coin,” adding, “Over the next 50 years, he put together a collection which included some of the earliest Scottish coins.“Lord Stewartby told me and our children that they represented Scotland’s history at a time when few people had access to books or pictures.” She further conveyed, “He emphasised the importance of these rare coins to Scotland’s heritage.” Jesper Ericsson, the curator of coins and medals at the museum, characterized the collection as exceptionally significant. He remarked, “These coins are incredibly rare and valuable to the Scottish nation,” and continued, “They represent the very earliest examples of an independent Scottish coinage and date from the 12th and 13th Centuries.” The museum acquired approximately 6,000 coins from Lord Stewartby, but would greatly appreciate the addition of the roughly 1,000 stolen pieces. Mr. Ericsson commented, “To be able to add these missing coins to the collection would be an extraordinary boost, not only to the Hunterian but also to Scottish museums and Scottish history and heritage in general.” Angela Parker, the national manager for Crimestoppers Scotland, stated their aspiration to return the coins to their intended location. She affirmed, “We want to know what happened to them and where they are,” adding, “Hopefully the information that comes forward to the chairty can help resolve the mystery of the initial theft and, more importantly, they can be restored to their rightful place where Lord Stewartby intended them to be at the Hunterian Museum at Glasgow University.” She indicated that any details would be appreciated. She remarked, “We know it was a targeted raid that happened in 2007 at Lord Stewartby’s home in the Borders,” and continued, “Since then, there have been no leads about what happened to these coins.” She also noted, “This collection was really emotionally important to him and, of course, his family now.” Concluding, she expressed, “Hopefully with the reward of £50,000 someone will maybe take a look at what they have – they may have these coins and not realise their significance.”