the night, police in Germany announced Monday, saying a group of thieves stole the 221-pound currency before police could arrive, according to the Bode Museum in Berlin, which housed the coin.
The
daring thieves allegedly snuck in through a window around 3:30 a.m. Monday,
broke into a cabinet holding the "Big Maple Leaf" coin, stole the
coin and escaped, police spokesman Stefen Petersen said.
While
Police searched the area, they found a ladder by nearby train tracks.
The
1.18-inch-thick coin, with a diameter of 20.9 inches, has a face value of 1
million Canadian dollars, or $750,000.
By
weight alone, however, it would be worth almost $4.5 million at market prices.
Petersen would not comment on whether authorities had surveillance video of the
crime, but said police assume more than one person was involved because of the
weight of the coin.
The
coin has a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on one side and maple leaves on the
other. It was produced in limited quantities by the Royal Canadian Mint to
promote a new line of its Gold Maple Leaf bullion coins in 2007.
It
has been on display at the Bode Museum, on Berlin's Museum Island, since
December 2010.
Berlin
museums spokesman Markus Farr said the coin is on loan from a private
collection, but would not elaborate. Detectives specialized in art-related
crimes are investigating the theft.
Source:
AP
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