Art News

Gold Bullion Stolen from Florida’s Mel Fisher Maritime Museum

MIAMI (REUTERS).- Thieves stole a $550,000 gold bar from a treasure museum where it went on display after a Florida salvager recovered it from the wreck of a Spanish galleon that lay on the ocean floor for centuries, the museum’s executive director said. The 74.85-ounce gold bar was stolen on Wednesday from the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West, Florida, in what executive director Melissa Kendrick called “a very quiet smash and grab.” The 11-inch (28-centimeter) gold bar was inside a glass case with a small opening where visitors could stick a hand inside and lift the bar to examine it. Footage from the museum’s security camera clearly showed two culprits who made off with it, and the FBI and local police were investigating. The museum’s insurer offered a $10,000 reward for its safe return, Kendrick said on Thursday. Gold has hovered near historic highs after hitting a record $1,266.50 an ounce in June, but the stolen ba