Editing British Museum (section)

===Thefts===
Thefts from the museum include: several historic coins and medals in the 1970s;<ref name="bbcknow"/> a 17th-century Japanese [[Kakiemon]] figure in 1990; two [[Meiji era|Meiji]] figurines and a fragment of a gold ring in 1991; fifteen Roman coins and jewellery worth £250,000 in 1993; and a Japanese chest and two Persian books in 1996.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2000/10/01/question-in-parliament-uncovers-extensive-losses-regarding-thefts-from-uk-national-museums |title=Question in Parliament uncovers extensive losses regarding thefts from UK national museums |work=The Art Newspaper |author1=Martin Bailey |date=1 October 2000 |accessdate=17 August 2023 |archive-date=20 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231120165800/https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2000/10/01/question-in-parliament-uncovers-extensive-losses-regarding-thefts-from-uk-national-museums |url-status=live }}</ref>

In July 2002 a marble head, valued at £50,000, was stolen from the [[Archaic Greece|Archaic Greek]] gallery.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/british-museum-struck-by-robbery-6326952.html |title=British Museum struck by robbery |date=31 July 2002 |work=Evening Standard |accessdate=17 August 2023 |archive-date=16 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116205818/https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/british-museum-struck-by-robbery-6326952.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2004, 15 Chinese artefacts including jewels, ornate hairpins and fingernail guards were stolen. In 2017, it was revealed that a [[Cartier (jeweler)|Cartier]] diamond had been missing since 2011.<ref name="bbcknow"/>

In August 2023, a staff member was fired after it emerged that items including gold, jewellery and gems had been stolen over a "significant" period of time. The incident led to an investigation by the [[Metropolitan Police]] and an independent review by the museum.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 August 2023 |title=British Museum worker sacked over missing treasures |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-66527422 |access-date=17 August 2023 |website=BBC |archive-date=20 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020061601/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-66527422 |url-status=live }}</ref> Some of the missing artefacts were later found to have been sold on [[eBay]] for considerably less than their estimated value.<ref name="bbcknow">{{Cite web |date=18 August 2023 |title=British Museum thefts: What we know so far |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-66543589 |access-date=19 August 2023 |website=BBC |archive-date=23 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823022235/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-66543589 |url-status=live }}</ref> The museum had been warned of the thefts as early as 2021. The museum's director, [[Hartwig Fischer]], resigned because of the museum's inadequate response to the warnings of theft.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 August 2023 |title=British Museum thefts: Director Hartwig Fischer quits over stolen treasures |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-66621006 |access-date=25 August 2023 |website=BBC |archive-date=25 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230825150612/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-66621006 |url-status=live }}</ref> The number of artefacts stolen was estimated to be about 2,000.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 August 2023 |title=British Museum recovers some of 2,000 stolen items |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-66626619 |access-date=26 August 2023 |website=BBC |archive-date=26 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230826081118/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-66626619 |url-status=live }}</ref> As a consequence of the thefts, the museum announced a five-year plan to digitise the complete collection and make it available to view online.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McIntosh |first1=Steve |title=British Museum to digitise collection following thefts |work=BBC News |date=18 October 2023 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67144607 |access-date=18 October 2023 |archive-date=18 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018092118/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67144607 |url-status=live }}</ref> By May 2024, 626 of the missing items had been recovered.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Razell |first1=Katie |last2=Graham |first2=Darin |last3=Kennelly |first3=Larissa |title=British Museum finds 268 more missing artefacts |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crgy4w221z5o |website=BBC News |date=17 May 2024 |access-date=17 May 2024}}</ref>