Spectacular theft of $4M gold coin could end in meltdown
‘Maple Leaf’ heist stumps authorities
The stunning heist of a 220pound gold coin worth more than $4 million from a German museum bewildered authorities in Berlin and sparked a desperate hunt for the scratch before it is melted down.
The Canadian coin, known as the “Big Maple Leaf,” has a diameter of more than 20 inches and is more than an inch thick — it would make a great coffee table. It has a face value of $1 million, but the value of the gold is closer to $4.5 million.
“My bet is that it has already been melted down,” Douglas Mudd, curator for the American Numismatic Association, told USA TODAY. “To go through all this trouble, you have to have a plan unless you are a total idiot.”
Thieves used a ladder to access a window, smashed it and broke into a bulletproof glass case. The ladder was found on nearby railroad tracks, and police suspect the bandits made off with the coin in a wheelbarrow, rolling it along the tracks, then lowering it on a rope to a park before fleeing by car into the Berlin night.
Art experts have joined the team investigating the crime. Police asked the public to be aware of anyone attempting to sell large volumes of gold
The coin, if it remains a coin, features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the front and three maple leaves on the back. It was issued by the Royal Canadian Mint a decade ago, part of a promotional campaign for a line of gold coins.
It’s been on loan to the Bode Museum from a private collection since 2010.
The melting temperature of gold is almost 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, but Mudd said the gold could be melted down with any small industrial melting equipment. One-ounce bars are easy to sell, he said.
“It’s not something you could do on your stove, but if you break it up, even a serious hobbyist could do it,” he said.