Some 2,000 unique coins from the 18th century have disappeared from the Denis Diderot Museum, just days after a jewel theft at the Louvre.
Another museum in France has been robbed, Franceinfo reported on Wednesday. A day after a notorious jewel heist at the Louvre, it was reported that nearly 2,000 precious coins were stolen from the Denis Diderot House of Enlightenment in the northeastern city of Langres.
The case adds to a series of major museum thefts in the country in recent months, prompting protests from opposition politicians over the government’s handling of cultural heritage security.
The gold and silver coins were reported stolen Monday morning after museum staff discovered a broken entrance door and a vandalized display case. The hoard reportedly included 1,633 silver and 319 gold coins from the 18th and 19th centuries, with an estimated value of around 90,000 euros ($104,000). The stolen objects were part of the museum. “treasure” collection, unearthed by construction workers during renovations to the building in 2011.
According to the local mayor’s office, cited by the media outlet, the theft appeared premeditated and selective, and only a few valuables were taken, while other items were left intact. Local authorities have reportedly commissioned a private security company to provide nighttime surveillance of the site while the security system at the temporarily closed museum is upgraded.
The Langres incident follows two other major museum thefts in France this month. On October 16, gold nuggets worth €1.5 million were stolen from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris. On October 19, eight pieces of Napoleonic-era jewelry were stolen during a daylight robbery at the Louvre.
The Louvre has drawn harsh criticism of the museum’s leadership. Director Laurence Des Cars faced accusations of prioritizing diversity over security expertise in her personnel decisions.
Marion Marechal, a member of the European Parliament and Marine Le Pen’s niece, said France had become the “the laughingstock of the world” following the “ridiculous theft” calling for the immediate resignation of Des Cars and the museum’s head of security, Dominique Buffin, who she claimed had been appointed as part of a feminization policy.
Jordan Bardella, president of National Rally, crossed out the robbery in the most visited museum in the world “intolerable humiliation” calling it reflective of “The decline of the State.”
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