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Gold Toilet Stolen

Bigphoot2

Bigphoot2

Not sprouts! I hate sprouts.
Joined
Jul 30, 2005
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The police have said they have nothing to go on
Gold toilet stolen in Blenheim Palace burglary
  • 24 minutes ago


An 18-carat solid gold toilet has been stolen in a burglary overnight at Blenheim Palace.
A gang broke into the Oxfordshire palace at about 04:50 BST and stole the artwork, Thames Valley Police said.
The working toilet - entitled America, which visitors had been invited to use - has not been found but a 66-year-old man has been arrested.
etc
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-49700620
 
If it's solid gold, how did he get it out? Unless more than one person was involved.
It must weigh a ton.
 
Mythopoeika said:
If it's solid gold, how did he get it out? Unless more than one person was involved.
It must weigh a ton.
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They estimate the gold is worth over a million dollars. At the current market price of $35,880/kg for 18 karat gold that would make it about 28kg, so remember to lift from the knees, not the back. At a density of maybe 15 grams per cubic centimetre that would place the total volume at about 1.8 litres of gold. I suspect it's a fairly hollow structure and not gold all the way through.
 
Last edited:
Tribble said:
They estimate the gold is worth over a million dollars. At the current market price of $35,880/kg for 18 karat gold that would make it about 28kg, so remember to lift from the knees, not the back. At a density of maybe 15 grams per cubic centimetre that would place the total volume at about 1.8 litres of gold. I suspect it's a fairly hollow structure and not gold all the way through.
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So, not solid gold.
 
Mythopoeika said:
So, not solid gold.
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Depends what they mean by solid gold. I'd guess that means it's only made of (18k) gold and isn't just gold plate. Although I'd also suspect that that only refers to the bowl - a gold flushing mechanism would probably wear out pretty quickly from the constant use by visitors.
 
Tribble said:
Depends what they mean by solid gold. I'd guess that means it's only made of (18k) gold and isn't just gold plate. Although I'd also suspect that that only refers to the bowl - a gold flushing mechanism would probably wear out pretty quickly from the constant use by visitors.
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Electroplated gold is usually 24 carat gold. I suspect this 18 carat gold to be sheet that's been beaten to conform to a shape. Inside is probably a toilet made from porcelain or stainless steel.
 
Suspicion of an inside jobby

Artist Maurizio Cattelan who created it denies stealing 18-carat loo.

Described as a serial prankster:

who has a track record of playing mischievous stunts, told the New York Times: “I wish it was a prank.”

In Amsterdam in 1996, Cattelan previously stole the whole show of another artist at a nearby gallery and tried to pass off the exhibition as his own work.

Despite police being called, Cattelan was allowed to continue his display for several days.
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Tribble said:
They estimate the gold is worth over a million dollars. At the current market price of $35,880/kg for 18 karat gold that would make it about 28kg, so remember to lift from the knees, not the back. At a density of maybe 15 grams per cubic centimetre that would place the total volume at about 1.8 litres of gold. I suspect it's a fairly hollow structure and not gold all the way through.
Click to expand...
I hope they had a manual handling assessment
66466ED3-F54D-4E42-B39B-E335439269D1.png
 
A second suspect has been arrested, but not yet charged.
Churchill home: 2nd suspect arrested in golden toilet theft

Police have arrested a second suspect in the unusual case involving the theft of a golden toilet from Winston Churchill’s birthplace.

Thames Valley Police said Tuesday that a 36-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to burgle and has been released pending investigation.

The two suspects have not been charged or identified. The police investigation over the Saturday morning theft at Blenheim Palace is ongoing.

The toilet is a work of art valued at 1 million pounds ($1.25 million).

The golden toilet is the work of Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan that was part of an art installation that had been installed a few days before the theft.

The artist intended the golden toilet to be a pointed satire about excessive wealth.
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SOURCE: https://www.apnews.com/afd93f7bfeeb4698875253aa7482aef1
 
He likes a good joke.....I think.
 
Update ... No news ... No one who's been detained in connection with this theft has been charged. The investigation is ongoing.
Police have ‘nothing to go on’ three years after £4,000,000 gold toilet stolen

Police still have ‘nothing to go on’ three years after a £4m toilet was stolen in an audacious robbery from Blenheim Palace.

Detectives are still trying to catch the crooks who stole the lavatory from an art exhibition at the mansion in Oxfordshire.

Cops have admitted that despite making several arrests in connection with the theft, no-one has been charged.

It is also understood cops have “nothing to go on” in the way of new leads.

It comes as officers from Thames Valley Police have renewed their appeal for anyone with information about the daring theft in 2019 to contact them. ...

Ever since the daring theft, detectives have been hunting the thieves and the toilet, which has still not been found despite an extensive search. ...

Since the burglary, detectives have arrested a number of people, including a pensioner.

However, none have been charged.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: ‘Those arrested in connection with the incident remain released under investigation. No charges have yet been brought but the enquiry is still active and ongoing. ...
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FULL STORY: https://metro.co.uk/2022/09/17/poli...-three-years-after-4m-toilet-stolen-17395976/
 
We might assume that completely oblivious to its artistic importance, the perps melted it down and monetized their theft and are now all living on a beach somewhere, which was probably the point of the exercise since there was no immediate ransom demand. Unbelievable that that particular art installation didn't have better security.
 
Lb8535 said:
We might assume that completely oblivious to its artistic importance, the perps melted it down and monetized their theft and are now all living on a beach somewhere, which was probably the point of the exercise since there was no immediate ransom demand. Unbelievable that that particular art installation didn't have better security.
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Yes, that's exactly what we they did....
 
Will the CPS pass the charges?

A file of evidence into the theft of an 18-carat gold toilet, almost four years ago, has been submitted by police to the Crown Prosecution Service.

The fully-functioning lavatory was stolen from Blenheim Palace shortly before 05:00 BST on 14 September 2019. Entitled America, it was part of an exhibition by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan and valued at $6m (£4.8m).

Six men and a woman were arrested but no charges have been brought. All those arrested following the theft were released under investigation by Thames Valley Police.

The force said: "A file of evidence is with the Crown Prosecution Service for a decision to be made on any charges."

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-66655633
 
Here's a little piece of trivia: the artist who created the gold toilet, Mauritzio Cattelan, apparently meant it as a protest against conspicuous consumption, particularly in the US, which is why he called it 'America'.

He is the same artist who created 'Comedian', the infamous banana duct taped to the wall.

COMEDIAN_banana_artwork.jpg


There were three copies of 'Comedian' created. He sold two of them for $120,000 each. So the man who couldn't stand conspicuous wealth if it was American had no problem in pocketing almost a quarter of a million bucks of conspicuous wealth as long as it was going into his own bank account.
 

Golden Toilet: Man pleads guilty to Blenheim Palace burglary​

I don’t think the toilet has been found.

James "Jimmy" Sheen, 39, from Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, pleaded guilty to burglary, transferring criminal property and conspiracy to do the same.

The £4.8m toilet was stolen from the Oxfordshire stately home in 2019 while it was featured in an art exhibition.

Sheen appeared at Oxford Crown Court via video link from HMP Five Wells. He is already serving a 17-year sentence for a string of thefts, including from cash points.

Sheen also stole £400,000 worth of tractors and high-value trophies from the National Horse Racing Museum in Newmarket.

Three other men have pleaded not guilty to charges related to the theft.
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