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.
