On Tuesday, Russian authorities announced the seizure of a collection of ancient gold coins stolen from the Saint-Remi Museum in Reims, northeastern France, after an attempt to sell them on the Moscow antiquities market, according to Le Figaro. The discovery marks a development in a case that remained unsolved for several years since the coins went missing.
During operational activities, Russian law enforcement officers uncovered 79 coins in an antique shop and from several numismatists while investigating the sale of coins on the Moscow antique market. Among the seized items were rare specimens from ancient times, minted between the 1st and 5th centuries CE. The total value of the coins is more than 55 million rubles (approximately 607,200 euros), according to RBC.
An examination conducted by the State Historical Museum in Moscow confirmed that the coins possess historical and cultural value, according to Lenta.ru. The coins matched the names and descriptions of those that had been kept at the Saint-Remi Museum before being stolen, a fact established during checks of the Moscow antique market.
"The return of the collection to the place of its permanent exhibition in France is being arranged," stated the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Russian authorities are working to ensure the artifacts are restored to their rightful home. Photos and detailed descriptions of the sought-after exhibits were sent to Russia, prompting police to conduct thorough searches in an antique shop in Moscow and at several collectors' homes.
Irina Volk, the official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, announced the discovery of the stolen coins on her Telegram channel, Lenta.ru reported. The operation was conducted jointly by police officers and the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) after coins resembling the stolen exhibits appeared on the Moscow antique market.
Through Interpol channels, a request was sent to France, which confirmed the theft of the gold coins from the Saint-Remi Museum. Interpol further confirmed that the seized items were the rare ancient coins that had been stolen from the museum.
A guard from the Saint-Remi Museum was convicted for the theft of the coins.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.