Security review at St Albans museum after coins theft (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Thieves took Saxon coins and silver pin from cabinet

12:20pm Tuesday 31st January 2012 in News By Manisha Mistry

A SECURITY review has been undertaken at the Museum of St Albans following the theft of rare Saxon coins last month.

St Albans District Council believes around 30 coins and a sixth or seventh century silver hand pin were stolen from a locked cabinet in the Hatfield Road museum’s medieval gallery over or around the weekend of January 7.

However, it has emerged when museum staff first discovered the coins, worth thousands of pounds, were not in the case, it was thought they had been removed for study.

Richard Shwe, head of community services at the district council, said the coins were due to be used for a study project by the archaeology department later in the month and staff assumed they had been taken earlier than planned.

The historic items were excavated from St Albans Abbey’s grounds in 1969. The medieval gallery remains closed while extra security measures are put in place.