Historic trophy stolen from Glasgow museum days after Louvre heist, police reveal

A historic gold trophy was stolen from the Riverside Museum in Glasgow, Scotland, just three days after a separate heist of French crown jewels from the Louvre Museum drew international attention to a pattern of rising art thefts.

Glasgow Life, the nonprofit that oversees the city’s museums, confirmed on April 30 that the Lipton Cup, also called the American Presentation Cup, had been stolen on the night of October 22. The Louvre Museum heist took place October 19.

“It remains the subject of an ongoing Police Scotland investigation and officers are now appealing for the help of the public. On police advice, we have not disclosed the theft until now,” Glasgow Life said.

Separately, in December, Avon and Somerset Police in southwest England announced that more than 600 museum artifacts stolen from a storage facility in Bristol—months after that heist. Security experts have criticized such decisions to hold back on announcing such thefts to the public.

“We are deeply saddened by the disgraceful theft of this important object from the city’s collection and recognize the strength of feeling it will provoke. This is not only a loss for the museum, but a theft from the people of Glasgow,” said Jane Rowlands, head of museums and collections at Glasgow Life.

“Since October, we have been supporting Police Scotland in their investigation to recover the item and have taken steps to review security measures across our museums.”

Rowlands added that the trophy, valued at £490,000, has been included in the Art Loss Register, a private database of stolen art, which will flag it to global auction houses to prevent attempted sales.

“Extensive inquiries remain ongoing and have included CCTV review and conventional inquiry, including within the art world,” said Detective Sergeant Bob Carrigan, from Police Scotland’s Community Investigation Unit in Glasgow.

“The cup has been circulated as a stolen artifact via Interpol and other industry stolen property registers.”

The trophy was presented to tea baron Thomas Lipton after his fifth and final failed attempt to win the Americas’ Cup, described as the premier international prize in yacht racing, in December 1930. Lipton died the following year, and his trustees gifted the trophy to Glasgow in 1932.

It was made by Tiffany and Co from 18-karat gold, and its design was characterized by Glasgow Life as “highly distinctive.”

The trophy bears two handles and a detachable domed lid with a representation of the Americas' Cup on an enamel shield depicting the U.S. flag in red, white and blue. It also includes enamel flags representing the Royal Ulster Yacht Club and Shamrock V, Lipton's last racing yacht.

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