£50,000 reward offered in hunt for rare coins stolen in 2007

A £50,000 reward has been offered successful the hunt for a nationally important postulation of aboriginal Scottish coins stolen from a renowned backstage collector 17 years ago.

More than 1,000 coins from the 12th and 13th centuries were taken from the location of Lord and Lady Stewartby successful Broughton, adjacent Peebles successful the Scottish Borders, successful June 2007.

The precocious Lord Stewartby entrusted the remainder of his postulation to the Hunterian Museum astatine the University of Glasgow successful 2017 but the missing coins person ne'er been found.

It is hoped the Crimestoppers reward and appeal, launched connected Wednesday, volition punctual radical to travel guardant with accusation which could pb to the betterment of the missing treasures.

Jesper Ericsson, curator of numismatics astatine the Hunterian, said the theft of the coins was an “irreparable nonaccomplishment for Scottish practice and history”.

He added: “The coins that were stolen from Lord and Lady Stewartby’s location successful June 2007 were not lone a devastating nonaccomplishment for Lord Stewartby, but besides for Scottish numismatics arsenic a whole.

“These aboriginal medieval Scottish coins were highly uncommon and represented the communicative of the precise earliest section of an autarkic Scottish coinage.

“For example, the Hunterian doesn’t clasp galore of these types of coins successful its collection, truthful for the missing coins to beryllium capable to rejoin the remainder of the Lord Stewartby postulation present astatine the Hunterian would beryllium extraordinary, not lone for the students and teaching present astatine the university, but besides for wider researchers and scholars, and particularly for the Scottish nation.

“They are of genuinely important nationalist importance. Their harmless instrumentality volition not lone payment generations of scholars, researchers, students and visitors to come, but volition besides close a incorrect that Lord Stewartby ne'er got to spot resolved earlier helium died.”

The missing coins span a play of astir 150 years, from astir 1136 during the reign of David I up to astir 1280 and the reign of Alexander III.

Lord Stewartby was 5 years aged erstwhile helium was fixed his archetypal Scottish coin and spent much than 70 years gathering up his collection.

He was successful the process of cataloguing the aboriginal Scottish coins erstwhile they were stolen successful 2007 successful what was thought to beryllium a targeted theft.

Lord Stewartby died successful 2018, the twelvemonth aft entrusting his remaining postulation of astir 6,000 coins to the Hunterian.

His woman Lady Stewartby said: “Lord Stewartby told maine and our children that they represented Scotland’s past astatine a clip erstwhile fewer radical had entree to books oregon pictures.

“He emphasised the value of these uncommon coins to Scotland’s heritage.

We cannot overestimate the value of the postulation to Scotland’s affluent heritage

Angela Parker, Crimestoppers Scotland

“I afloat enactment this Crimestoppers entreaty and anticipation that it volition promote anyone who has accusation to travel forward.”

The reward, disposable for 3 months until February 27, is being offered for information, that tin beryllium fixed anonymously, that leads to the condemnation of those liable for the crime.

Crimestoppers has enactment up its maximum magnitude of £20,000, with an anonymous donor helping boost the full reward to £50,000.

Angela Parker, nationalist manager astatine Crimestoppers Scotland, said: “This was the champion postulation of Scottish coins ever assembled by a backstage individual. We cannot overestimate the value of the postulation to Scotland’s affluent heritage.

“We consciousness that this reward, and it’s a important amount, volition motivate idiosyncratic to bash the close thing, to archer america who stole the coins successful 2007 – we judge it’s a targeted theft – and wherever they are.

“They could beryllium abroad. They could beryllium successful the UK, they’re precise small, they could beryllium overlooked.

“But we’re truly conscionable appealing to idiosyncratic to bash the close happening and assistance instrumentality these coins to the Hunterian astatine Glasgow University.

Crimestoppers tin beryllium contacted 24/7 connected 0800 555 111, oregon radical tin implicit an anonymous online signifier astatine Crimestoppers-uk.org.