▁the ▁Museum ▁of ▁Natural ▁History . ▁The ▁cur ator ▁of ▁the ▁museum ▁found ▁it ▁missing ▁during ▁a ▁daily ▁ins pection . ▁The ▁single ▁" M oon ▁rock " ▁within ▁the ▁clear ▁pl astic ▁ball ▁mounted ▁on ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁wooden ▁lun ar ▁display ▁weight ed ▁just ▁over ▁ 1 . 1 ▁gram . ▁ ▁The ▁Moon ▁rock ' s ▁un guard ed ▁display ▁case ▁was ▁broken ▁open ▁and ▁the ▁clear ▁pl astic ▁ball ▁that ▁en velop ed ▁the ▁" M oon ▁rock " ▁was ▁removed ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 0 ▁in ch ▁by ▁ 1 4 ▁in ch ▁wooden ▁presentation ▁display ▁board . ▁The ▁M alt ese ▁flag ▁that ▁had ▁flow n ▁on ▁the ▁Apol lo ▁ 1 7 ▁mission ▁and ▁was ▁also ▁mounted ▁this ▁presentation ▁pla que ▁was ▁left ▁behind ▁un touch ed , ▁suggesting ▁an ▁amateur ▁th ief . ▁The ▁wooden ▁presentation ▁display ▁together ▁with ▁the ▁M alt ese ▁flag ▁would ▁have ▁proven ▁where ▁the ▁Moon ▁rock ▁came ▁from ▁and ▁established ▁its ▁value . ▁ ▁Joseph ▁Richard ▁Gut hein z , ▁a ▁retired ▁NASA ▁agent ▁who ▁has ▁made ▁it ▁his ▁job ▁to ▁recover ▁other ▁missing ▁" good will ▁Moon ▁rocks ", ▁told ▁the ▁Associ ated ▁Press ▁that ▁the ▁th ief ▁or ▁th ieves ▁involved ▁with ▁taking ▁the ▁M alt ese ▁" good will ▁Moon ▁rock " ▁will ▁have ▁trouble ▁fig uring ▁out ▁what ▁to ▁do ▁with ▁it . ▁He ▁said ▁they ▁could ▁try ▁to ▁sell ▁it ▁to ▁private ▁collect ors , ▁if ▁they ▁could ▁prove ▁what ▁it ▁is ▁and ▁its