A 17th century gold bar was stolen in Key West. The feds just made an arrest.

1630Boston · January 30, 2018 10:15AM

Seven years later

http://www.flkeysnews.com/news/local/article197263709.html

asheland · January 30, 2018 10:19AM

Glad they actually caught them!

1630Boston · January 30, 2018 10:20AM

The gold bar was held in a case designed to let people touch it but not remove it.????????

TomB · January 30, 2018 1:00PM

They made an arrest, but the gold bar has apparently not yet been found. I'd imagine it may have been long ago melted.

Timbuk3 · January 30, 2018 7:52PM

Good job !!!

mvs7 · January 30, 2018 8:06PM

@1630Boston said:
The gold bar was held in a case designed to let people touch it but not remove it.

I think if some thief was able to figure out how to get the bar out of that case, they should get to keep it. It's like a Mensa test crossed with pulling Excalibur from the rock.

ricko · January 31, 2018 9:10AM

I am curious as to how they identified them.... perhaps pictures from the museum cameras... I would think the bar has long been disposed of....also, would like to know how they got it out... I have some ideas, but not having visited the museum and actually seen the set up, cannot be sure. Cheers, RickO

metalmeister · January 31, 2018 9:54AM

Maybe they "bent" the gold and pulled it out? If melted. Such a shame. However, just think of how many historical gold artifacts have been melted down through history.

LanLord · January 31, 2018 11:35AM

The bigger crime is whomever wore those three bracelets in public!

LukeMarshall · January 31, 2018 12:50PM

I visited a museum once that had a display case nearly identical to the one pictured above with a gold bar you could hold.

On both sides of the plexiglass circle were large stress cracks , no doubt caused by someone looking to break the bar out...

tyler267 · February 11, 2018 10:29AM

I have been to Mel Fisher Museum a couple of times. It is a real shame that this happened, It was a cool display, allowing visitors to hold history. As previously stated the tragedy is that the bar has probably been melted and its historical significance lost forever.

I am really curious how they got it out of the display.

BAJJERFAN · February 11, 2018 8:40PM

@tyler267 said:
I have been to Mel Fisher Museum a couple of times. It is a real shame that this happened, It was a cool display, allowing visitors to hold history. As previously stated the tragedy is that the bar has probably been melted and its historical significance lost forever.

I am really curious how they got it out of the display.

Bending it seems like the way to go about it.

tyler267 · February 12, 2018 8:50AM

@BAJJERFAN said:

@tyler267 said:
I have been to Mel Fisher Museum a couple of times. It is a real shame that this happened, It was a cool display, allowing visitors to hold history. As previously stated the tragedy is that the bar has probably been melted and its historical significance lost forever.

I am really curious how they got it out of the display.

Bending it seems like the way to go about it.

Yes that is the most logical answer, then I looked at the video again, seems like it would be hard to bend in a small space using only one hand, case does not look like it would allow much leverage. My guess would be they broke the case, or maybe the criminals were just extremely strong. However it happened, it is tragic that this piece of history was probably melted for its gold content. It can never be replaced.

BAJJERFAN · February 12, 2018 12:01PM

@tyler267 said:

@BAJJERFAN said:

@tyler267 said:
I have been to Mel Fisher Museum a couple of times. It is a real shame that this happened, It was a cool display, allowing visitors to hold history. As previously stated the tragedy is that the bar has probably been melted and its historical significance lost forever.

I am really curious how they got it out of the display.

Bending it seems like the way to go about it.

Yes that is the most logical answer, then I looked at the video again, seems like it would be hard to bend in a small space using only one hand, case does not look like it would allow much leverage. My guess would be they broke the case, or maybe the criminals were just extremely strong. However it happened, it is tragic that this piece of history was probably melted for its gold content. It can never be replaced.

Looking at the shape of the bar it sorta resembles a loaf of French bread. If it's soft enough one could likely bend it enough to remove it if the space above the open hole was sufficient. The mistake was making the box too large IMO.

metalmeister · February 12, 2018 12:11PM

On second thought. The thief probably smuggled in a small pair of bolt cutters. Snip. Out she goes.

tyler267 · February 12, 2018 3:32PM

@metalmeister said:
On second thought. The thief probably smuggled in a small pair of bolt cutters. Snip. Out she goes.

That would make the most sense

drei3ree · February 12, 2018 4:46PM

Why did they need to let people touch it? Was it a gimmick to increase visitors?

BAJJERFAN · February 12, 2018 5:43PM

I bet the thief wasn't Vinegar Bend Mizell.

MikeyMo · February 12, 2018 10:42PM

Reminded me of this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E5c_VsFH98

sumrtym · February 13, 2018 12:36PM

I remember reading when it happened they smashed the case.

metalmeister · February 15, 2018 8:43AM

Brute force eh?

tonedSilver · February 18, 2018 10:01AM

At least they caught the suspects. However it’s unfortunate that the bar might never be found. I agree that it was probably melted. I suspect a thief doesn’t mind if the payout is melt value even though the bar is worth much more for its historical value.

sellitstore · February 18, 2018 4:37PM

After the bar was sold for gold value, it would still have at least two more chances to be recognized and saved. First by whoever it was sold to and then by the refiner. It may still exist somewhere.

tonedSilver · February 18, 2018 11:08PM

Could the suspects attempt to melt it themselves? I'm not familiar with the refining process.

BAJJERFAN · February 19, 2018 9:25AM

@tonedSilver said:
Could the suspects attempt to melt it themselves? I'm not familiar with the refining process.

The smart thing would be to deface the lettering with a hammer and cut it into pieces. Or if you had a furnace, melt it into a blob.

bluelobster · February 20, 2018 9:16AM

We go to the Keys and Key west every year for the last 30+years for lobster season.
My 6 year old grandson at the time got to hold it the morning before it was stolen.

Of course I grilled him the next morning but he was clean ;~. Interestingly, I always thought it might have been a inside job, glad at least, it looks like it wasn't.

drei3ree · February 24, 2018 4:54AM

@BAJJERFAN said:

@tonedSilver said:
Could the suspects attempt to melt it themselves? I'm not familiar with the refining process.

The smart thing would be to deface the lettering with a hammer and cut it into pieces. Or if you had a furnace, melt it into a blob.

"The smart thing," don't steal the gold bar!

BAJJERFAN · February 24, 2018 5:14AM

@drei3ree said:

@BAJJERFAN said:

@tonedSilver said:
Could the suspects attempt to melt it themselves? I'm not familiar with the refining process.

The smart thing would be to deface the lettering with a hammer and cut it into pieces. Or if you had a furnace, melt it into a blob.

"The smart thing," don't steal the gold bar!

that too, but that's not an option now

A 17th century gold bar was stolen in Key West. The feds just made an arrest.

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