Almost 2,000 gold and silver coins were stolen during a nighttime burglary at a French museum – just hours after the spectacular theft at the Louvre in Paris.
The latest incident involved a break-in at the House of Enlightenment, Denis Diderot, in Landres in north-eastern France on Sunday night. It houses manuscripts, letters and historical objects from the 18th century.
The thieves made off with around 2,000 silver and gold coins, according to a statement issued by the local authority on Wednesday. The initial investigation suggests they selected their loot with great expertise and precision.
Since the beginning of September, there has been a spate of burglaries at French museums, all following a similar pattern and specifically targeting valuable objects such as jewelry, coins or items of high historical value. It is unclear whether the crimes are connected.
In mid-October, the Jacques Chirac Museum in Sarran in the south-west of the country was burgled twice within 48 hours. The museum houses around 5,000 diplomatic gifts received by Jacques Chirac during his two terms in office as president of France (1995-2007).
Thieves struck several times in September – within just two weeks, the National Adrien Dubouche Museum in Limoges and the Natural History Museum in Paris were targeted by burglars.
In Limoges, three Chinese porcelain objects classified as "national treasures," with an estimated value of 6.5 million euros ($7.5 million), were taken.
Just a few days later, thieves stole several gold nuggets worth 1.5 million euros from the Natural History Museum in Paris. During the investigation, a 24-year-old Chinese woman was arrested in Barcelona. It is not yet clear whether she acted alone or with accomplices.
The most high-profile crime took place at the Louvre in broad daylight on Sunday, when masked thieves stole eight pieces of jewelry. Their haul, with an estimated value of 88 million euros, included a tiara, a necklace and a bracelet that once belonged to Napoleon's family.
The Louvre reopened today, Oct. 22. While the museum opened at 9 a.m. (7 a.m. GMT), its usual starting time, the Apollo Gallery, where the break-in occurred, remains closed for the time being, the broadcaster France Info reported, citing the museum.
