The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 28, July 15, 2007, Article 17

LORD STEWARTBY SCOTTISH COIN COLLECTION STOLEN

A coin collection theft has British newspapers buzzing.

"One of Britain's most important historic coin collections has been
stolen from the home of a former government minister.

"Antique coins worth more than half a million pounds, including one
struck under the reign of Robert the Bruce, 900 years ago, were taken
in the raid.

"Police believe around 1,000 coins, collected over more than 50
years, were removed from the home of Lord and Lady Stewartby in
Broughton, in the Scottish Borders.

"Nick Holmes, curator of numismatics at the National Museums of
Scotland, added: “It has always been made available as a resource
for people researching coins and to lose so many coins from this
period is a tragedy.

"“Of course, for poor Ian this must be awful and he has devoted
more than half a entry to this collection.

"“He is the acknowledged expert in this field and is the one we
all turn to when we want to know something.” Lydia Pretzlik, 38,
the Tory peer's daughter, said he was devastated by the loss.

"The theft happened a month ago but police only released details
of the incident yesterday."

To read the complete article, see: Full Story

John Andrew forwarded a BBC article on the theft: "Nick Holmes,
senior curator in numismatics at the National Museums of Scotland,
said the theft had dealt a devastating blow to the study of historic
coins in Scotland.

"He added: 'In terms of that period, Lord Stewartby had more coins
in his collection than the National Museums of Scotland have.

"He had managed to collect a number of very rare pieces which
were previously unknown.

"It wouldn't be putting it mildly to say that this theft has put
the study of numismatics back 50 years because if the collection
is not recovered all of the work Lord Stewartby has put in over
the past half century will be lost.'"

To read the complete article, see: Full Story

Dr. Ute Wartenberg Kagan also forwarded an article, this one
from The Herald: Full Story

Dick Johnson forwarded this article from the daily record:
Full Story

The Financial Times also chimed in on the theft: Full Story

[The Scotsman's web site allows reader comments, and they picked
up on the reporters' error in stating that Robert the Bruce reigned
900 years ago:  "So Robert the Bruce reigned 900 years ago, did he?"
"Robert the Bruce, was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in
1329. 1329 subtracted from 2007 = 678. Does that look like 900 to
anyone??"

"Mr. Stewartby's collection is so well known and catalogued that
selling this stuff is going to be difficult and whatever is sold
will most likely eventually be identified as stolen - even 20, 80,
200 years from now. This theft just goes to show the follow of
keeping highly valuable items at home, especially when their presence
there is so widely known among the collecting fraternity..."

To read the complete Scotsman article, see: Full Story

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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