At approximately 3:30 am on Monday morning, a solid gold coin worth $4 million (3.2 million euros) was stolen from the Bode Museum in Berlin. The coin, minted by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2007, has a face value of $1 million (Canadian), but the pure 24-carat gold coin has exceeded the inscribed face value due to gold’s current prices.
Nicknamed the “big maple leaf,” the coin features Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse and Canada’s iconic maple leaf on the reverse. It measures 3 cm thick, 53 cm in diameter, and weighs 220 lb.
It’s still unclear as to how the coin was stolen and how the alarm system was bypassed. Authorities believe at least two people were involved in the theft due to the size and weight of the coin. A ladder was found on the train tracks near the back of the museum, which leads to the possibility of the thieves entering through a window.
From the presumed window, the thief or thieves made their way to the coin exhibition, which holds over 540,000 items. Nothing was reported stolen except the “big maple leaf.” However, it was secured behind bullet-proof glass, adding another layer of mystery to the theft.
If gold coins featuring Her Majesty strike your fancy, you might be interested in the British Gold Queen’s Beasts Griffin coin. It’s the second coin in the Queen’s Beasts series, which will include 10 coins featuring the heraldic beasts that stood guard at the Queen’s coronation. Get yours while supplies are on sale this week!
So, where were the security guards? The way I interpret this is that evidently the museum basically begged for this item to be lifted. Bullet proof glass evidently does not mean theft proof.
Well, it’s too bad Tom Brady’s jersey wasn’t attached to it, then at least the FBI could find it.
The museum declined to comment on potential security issues, but it seems like there’s definitely room for improvement.