$5M Moon Rock Stolen From Malta Museum

"LooseChanj
Where in the world did they get the "$5 million" figure from?

A more realistic valuation would be in the $500k to $1 million range.
The Honduras sample holder received an offer from a Swiss watch co to put
out a watch with a speck at the "12" of a moon rock watch. The offer was
for around $500k. The dude should have accepted the offer. The story is
on the web here and there.

Harald Kucharek wrote:



Stand ready for the sequel "The Maltese Moonrock", featuring a CGI
Humphrey Bogart reviving his famous role as Sam Spade, hunting down
what seems to be a worthless moonrock turning out to be some precious
jewel after scratiching off all that dirt.


Well, it appears that in this particular case I beat you to it sir; but
I admire a man who thinks the way I do- posting to a newsgroup is like
drinking; both must be done.....judiciously.....lest one falls down on
one's posterior while vomiting on oneself...heh-heh!

The Fatman

On or about Sat, 22 May 2004 09:47:16 +0200, Harald Kucharek
made the sensational claim that:
Stand ready for the sequel "The Maltese Moonrock", featuring a CGI
Humphrey Bogart reviving his famous role as Sam Spade, hunting down what
seems to be a worthless moonrock turning out to be some precious jewel
after scratiching off all that dirt.

CGI is all good and well, but who's going to do the voice?
--
This is a siggy | To E-mail, do note | Just because something
It's properly formatted | who you mean to reply-to | is possible, doesn't
No person, none, care | and it will reach me | mean it can happen

Pat Flannery wrote:


Harald Kucharek wrote:



Stand ready for the sequel "The Maltese Moonrock", featuring a CGI
Humphrey Bogart reviving his famous role as Sam Spade, hunting down
what seems to be a worthless moonrock turning out to be some precious
jewel after scratiching off all that dirt.



Well, it appears that in this particular case I beat you to it sir; but
I admire a man who thinks the way I do- posting to a newsgroup is like
drinking; both must be done.....judiciously.....lest one falls down on
one's posterior while vomiting on oneself...heh-heh!

The Fatman

Oops, didn't saw your prior-art post. But I have to admit: I thought
that I was commiting a flannery when I posted my few words. Surely was
harder work for me than for you to make such a flic.

Harald

Mike Rhino wrote:

How would a thief prove to a prospective buyer that the rock he has is a
genuine moon rock? Maybe this rock will be mentioned in spam email.



DEAR SIR,

This letter might come as a surprise to you especially since we have
never met or discuss before. Basically, the message might sound strange
but it is factual in reality if only you care to know.

The truth is that I should have notified you first through a more
confidential means, (even if it's at least to respect your integrity)
please accept my humble apologies if i had caught you unawares, i
frankly do not mean any harm in passing my goodwill message.

We are members of the Special Committee for Budget and Planning of the
Ministry of Lunar Resources. This committee is principally concerned
with contract appraisal and the approval of contract in order of
priorities as regards capital projects of the federal excutive
government of Nigeria with our positions we have successfully secured
for ourselves a Moon Rock valued at sum of five million dollars (US
$516.32) the amount was accumulated from the over invoice.

Hence, together with some of the top officials of the Nigerian National
Helium-3 Corporation and the Federal Ministry of Green Cheese. We plan
to transfer this amount into an overseas account by awarding a non
existing contract from my ministry. To this effect i decided to contact
you and ask for your assistance.

What we need from you sir, is to provide a very vital account in which
the funds will be transferred. My colleagues and I have agreed never to
compensate the owner of the account used for this transaction with 30%
of the total amount remitted, minus 45% of the remaining balance less
taxes not paid. We shall keep both 60% and 70% remaining 10% reserved
for taxes and other miscellaneous expenses not used. 50% of the total is
overhead and will not be spent. 8% is replenished upon payment.

It may interest you to know that last two years a similar transaction
was carried with one mr. D** G*****, the president of Vandalay
International Trading Corporation at number 30102 E. RI School of Design
St.,Ukipah New York 10022 with telephone number (976) 555-7734 and telex
number 0u812. After the agreement between both partners in which he was
to take 20% of the money while the remaining 80% for us. With all the
required documents signed the money was duly transferred into his
account only to be dissappointed on our arrival in New York and we were
reliably informed that mr. D** G***** was no longer on that address
while his telephone and telex numbers have been re-allocated to somebody
else. That is how we lost us$10m to mr D** G*****.

Finally, the confidence and trust reposed on you cannot be over
emphasised. Therefore, you are to keep this deal to yourself
confidentially. Calibre of personnels involved are men in government.So
cannot effort to loose our respective reputation to our dear country if
jeopardise by you.

Contact me urgently through the above e-mail no with your detail
information.If not humbly discard t and still maintain ts confidentiality.
YOURS FAITHFULLY,
J. R. "Jahr" Dahhbs
CHAIRMAN CONTACT AWARD & MONITORING COMMITTEE.

NB: THE URGENCY OF THE ABOVE AND THE INEFFICIENCY OF OUR LOCAL POSTAL
AGENCY MADE ME TO SEND YOU THIS EMAIL.


--
It Came From C. L. Smith's Unclaimed Mysteries.
http://www.unclaimedmysteries.net

On Sat, 22 May 2004 09:47:16 +0200, Harald Kucharek
wrote:

Stand ready for the sequel "The Maltese Moonrock", featuring a CGI
Humphrey Bogart reviving his famous role as Sam Spade, hunting down what
seems to be a worthless moonrock turning out to be some precious jewel
after scratiching off all that dirt.

...."Rosebud" is the Lunar Rover.

OM

--

"No ******* ever won a war by dying for | http://www.io.com/~o_m
his country. He won it by making the other | Sergeant-At-Arms
poor dumb ******* die for his country." | Human O-Ring Society

- General George S. Patton, Jr

On Sat, 22 May 2004 02:52:37 -0500, OM
om@our_blessed_lady_mary_of_the_holy_NASA_researc h_facility.org
wrote:

On 21 May 2004 23:44:55 -0700, (Robert
Pearlman) wrote:

LooseChanj wrote in message news:
Where in the world did they get the "$5 million" figure from?

$5 million was the asking price by a Miami businessman whose Honduran
moon rock was allegedly smuggled into the U.S. and was subsequently
confiscated when he tried to sell it to undercover agents:

http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-062902a.html

...Yes, but what was *your* cut going to be in this? :-) :-) :-) :-)

OM


A gallstone from Korelev and a Uranian asteroid fragment to be
named later. ;-)

- Rusty Barton

On 21 May 2004 15:58:08 -0700, (Rusty B)
wrote:

$5M Moon Rock Stolen From Malta Museum

$5M Moon Rock Stolen From Malta Museum

POSTED: 10:49 am EDT May 21, 2004

VALLETTA, Malta -- A tiny moon rock believed to be worth about $5
million was stolen from a museum in Malta, 30 years after President
Richard Nixon donated it to the Mediterranean island nation.

The theft from the Museum of Natural History in Mdina was discovered
Tuesday during a routine check, officials said. A protective cover of
plastic had been forced open to take the rock, which was the size of a
raisin.


snip

I used to be a regular visitor to Malta, and have stood in front of
that very rock. When I last saw it, about ten years ago, it was under
a plexiglass case on a plinth in a corridor.

I looked at it. It looked at me. There was nobody about (there never
seemed to be anyone in the museum whenever I visited). I considered
how easy it would be to steal it - and came to the conclusion that it
would be spectacularly simple. If I wanted to actually *plan* to steal
it, then it would be very easy to make a small fake to leave in its
place; I doubted that anyone would notice for a very long time.

Of course, I left it alone - much as I'd love a piece of moon rock, I
didn't fancy one I couldn't tell anyone about, or sell, and which
could land me in a lot of trouble. But were I to have a good reason to
steal a bit, I couldn't think of a better target.

R

On Sun, 23 May 2004 21:09:41 GMT, Rupert Goodwins
wrote:

Of course, I left it alone - much as I'd love a piece of moon rock, I
didn't fancy one I couldn't tell anyone about, or sell, and which
could land me in a lot of trouble. But were I to have a good reason to
steal a bit, I couldn't think of a better target.

....Hmm. Sounds like you had a plan. Guess that makes you a suspect.
Anyone got the number for Malta Five-Oh? :-) :-) :-)

OM

--

"No ******* ever won a war by dying for | http://www.io.com/~o_m
his country. He won it by making the other | Sergeant-At-Arms
poor dumb ******* die for his country." | Human O-Ring Society

- General George S. Patton, Jr

In article , Rupert
Goodwins wrote:

If I wanted to actually *plan* to steal
it, then it would be very easy to make a small fake to leave in its
place; I doubted that anyone would notice for a very long time.

Certainly the most recent thief didn't notice. If you see a 'Moon
rock' advertised on e-bay that looks exactly like a broken shard of a
coffee mug, you know where it came from.

--
David M. Palmer (formerly @clark.net, @ematic.com)