Britain and the looted African gold

Barnaby Phillips traces the fate of the exquisite golden treasures plundered by British forces from the kingdom of Asante 150 years ago

Published: March 20, 2026 at 8:00 AM

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In the 1870s, British troops invaded the African kingdom of Asante, razed its capital, prowled its palace and plundered its exquisite golden treasures. In this episode, Barnaby Phillips tells Spencer Mizen about the fate of the Asante gold – and explores the decades-long campaign to return the treasures to west Africa.

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You can find find plenty more on the history of Africa, including Zeinab Badawi discussing the challenges of writing the entire continent's history, on the HistoryExtra website. Go beyond the podcast.

Authors

Spencer MizenSenior production editor

Spencer is senior production editor of HistoryExtra magazine

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