The British Museum made headlines in 2023 when it announced items from their collection had been stolen. The majority of the stolen pieces were small gems and jewelry kept in a storeroom, and none were on public display. Now, the London Times reports the institution is “preparing to hire a treasure hunter to help recover hundreds of stolen artefacts before they disappear for ever.” As of January 2025, the British museum has recovered 654 of the estimated 1,500 items missing.
“We want to make progress fast in terms of getting things back,” Professor Tom Harrison, in charge of the museum’s Greek and Roman collections, told the Times. “We want to get as much staffing as we can to try and push ahead.” The “treasure hunter” will focus on “writing letters to dealers, auction houses and collectors around the world” in an effort to find the missing pieces. Harrison’s main concern, he said, is that “It’s always assumed gold is stolen to be melted down. That is a depressing possibility. There are little glimmers of hope we might find more of it.”
At the time of the theft in 2023, George Osborne, the Chair of the British Museum said, “Our priority is now threefold: first, to recover the stolen items; second, to find out what, if anything, could have been done to stop this; and third, to do whatever it takes, with investment in security and collection records, to make sure this doesn’t happen again. This incident only reinforces the case for the reimagination of the Museum we have embarked upon. It’s a sad day for all who love our British Museum, but we’re determined to right the wrongs and use the experience to build a stronger Museum.”
Curator Dr. Peter Higgs, the alleged perpetrator of the theft, reportedly sold items online, including on eBay. Higgs, who denies all allegations, worked for the museum in the department of Greece and Rome from 1999 until 2023.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
