Police launch public appeal following theft of Lipton Cup from Glasgow’s Riverside Museum
Glasgow Life can confirm that a valuable gold cup was stolen from display at the Riverside Museum. The
incident occurred overnight between Wednesday 22 October and Thursday 23 October 2025.
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.
The Lipton Cup, also called the American Presentation Cup, has a fascinating history. It was presented to Glaswegian, Sir Thomas Lipton, in New York in December 1930, following his fifth, and final, failed attempt to win the Americas’ Cup, the premier international prize in yacht racing.
Following Lipton’s death in 1931, it was subsequently gifted to the people of Glasgow by his trustees in 1932.
Made by Tiffany and Co and valued at £490,000, the 18-karat gold cup is highly distinctive with two handles and a detachable domed lid, set atop a square silver plinth base. It features a representation of the Americas' Cup on an enamel shield depicting the American flag in red, white and blue.
Other recognisable decorations include enamel flags representing the Royal Ulster Yacht Club and Lipton's last racing yacht, Shamrock V, as well as ornate gold ropework. On each side of the silver base, in gold relief, are four symbols of Fraternity, Integrity, Courage and Perseverance.
Jane Rowlands, Head of Museums and Collections at Glasgow Life, said: “We are deeply saddened by the disgraceful theft of this important object from the city’s collection and recognise the strength of feeling it will provoke. This is not only a loss for the museum, but a theft from the people of Glasgow, whose shared heritage our collections represent.
“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. We have also added it to the Art Loss Register – the world’s largest private database of stolen art – which will flag it to auction houses worldwide in an effort to prevent any attempted sale.
“Our priority is to see this treasured object safely returned to the people of Glasgow and we would encourage anyone who may have information about the cup’s whereabouts to tell the police.”
Detective Sergeant Bob Carrigan, from Police Scotland’s Community Investigation Unit in Glasgow, said: “We received a report of a housebreaking and the theft of The Lipton Cup from a display case at Riverside Museum on Pointhouse Place in the city. The incident happened between 5pm on Wednesday, 22 October, and 10am on Thursday, 23 October 2025.
“Extensive enquiries remain ongoing and have included CCTV review and conventional enquiry, including within the art world. The cup has been circulated as a stolen artefact via Interpol and other industry stolen property registers.
“This trophy is of significant historic value and belongs to the people of Glasgow. I am now appealing to the public for their help as part of our investigation to find and return the item to the museum. Anyone with any
information, no matter how small it may seem, is asked to contact the police. It may help us piece together what happened and find the trophy.”