A FRESH appeal has been launched to try to trace 1,000 historical artifacts stolen from a secret store belonging to Derby Museum and Art Gallery.
The museums is asking the public, antique collectors and dealers to get in touch if they know where any of the coins, medallions, watches and other items that were snatched last summer might be.
The appeal comes as a 28-year-old man appeared at Derby Crown Court yesterday. Mark Pidgeon, of Kirk Leys Avenue South, Spondon, pleaded not guilty to handling stolen goods in connection with the incident.
It is claimed he sold on more than 100 of the items to an antiques dealer in Birmingham who in turn called Derbyshire police after recognising some of them from a story he had read in the Derby Telegraph. They have since been recovered.
Pidgeon has been bailed and will be tried in July.
A spokesman for Derby City Council, which runs the museum and art gallery, said: "A total of around 1,100 small objects were taken between May 2 and June 19 from the unmanned city centre building, and the theft was discovered by staff in a routine inspection. 'The police investigation recovered more than 100 items through the help of a Birmingham antiques dealer."
At the time of the theft the museum put out requests to the antiques community to help trace items.
While pieces recovered included a large group of important 17th-century trade tokens, there is still a significant group of objects missing that have a key place in the story of the city.
Some of the most important are the group of about 40 watches and watch movements, including three made by the famous Lunar Society member John Whitehurst.
Mainly dating from the 18th and 19th century, these pocket watches are clearly identifiable. They usually have the maker's name and a serial number engraved into the metal.
The spokesman said: "Other missing items are unlikely to fetch much money, but are valuable for the personal stories they tell about Derby people. They include a very early Derbyshire football medal awarded to a Fred Cropper of Derby in 1888, and a tug of war medal won by Mr F Burton in Derby's peace celebrations at the end of the First World War."
Jonathan Leach, a museum trustee, said: ''It is extremely sad that the people of Derby are deprived of seeing and enjoying these important collections.
"We are appealing again to the public to come forward if they have come across or been offered any small historic coins, medals and watches that may have a connection to Derby.
"The museum will happily check items against its records and we are very grateful for any assistance."
At the time of the theft the 1,100 items were described as ''a significant chunk of the museum's collection'' by the city's leading historian, Maxwell Craven.
Alan Grimadell, vice-chairman of Derby Civic Society, said: "I'm very disappointed that so few of the stolen items have so far been recovered. I hope that the police continue their investigation into this crime.
"I sincerely hope that the new museum trust has reviewed its security, and held it's own internal investigation."
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the stolen items is asked to call Derbyshire police on 101, quoting incident 512 of June 19. Anonymous information can also be given to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
