The Great Gold Robbery of 1855 is regarded as one of the first train robberies in history. The elaborate heist that took four years from conception to execution, has reserved its place in historical infamy.
The Great Gold Robbery of 1855: Did You Know? – Video Transcription
Narrator: 00:05
Did you know: The great gold robbery of 1855 was a famous bullion heist regarded as one of the first train robberies in history. 200 pounds of gold valuing over $15,400 in 1855 were stolen while being transported from London to Northern France. This value, adjusted for inflation, would equate to over one point $4 million. In 2019 this heist was committed by a team of four men named William Pierce, William George Tester, James Burgess, and Edward Agar. Pierce was a railway ticket printer who had knowledge of regular gold shipments. He recruited con man Edward agar and the two built a team to orchestrate the heist. The gold was transferred by both carrier and Train. Though the heist is believed to have occurred in secret while the gold was being transferred on the railway, it wasn't until later that weight discrepancies were noted leading to the discovery that a large majority of the gold had been replaced with lead shot. The group of robbers were only caught when Agar was arrested for unrelated reasons and told this story to police. Agar stated that Pierce had failed to make good on a promise to deliver money to Agar's child's mother and that he came clean out of spite. Click the link below or call the number on your screen if you'd like to learn how to use gold as a means of protecting your assets and expanding your portfolio.
