Ancient golden helmet recovered more than a year after Dutch heist

A 2,500-year-old golden helmet considered one of Romania's greatest treasures has been recovered more than a year after it was stolen during a raid on a Dutch museum. It and two golden bracelets dating back to about 450BC were unveiled as having been returned to the museum on Thursday, secured behind a glass case with two armed police guarding them. A third bracelet has not yet been found. The theft of the Coțofenești helmet and bracelets by an armed gang who broke into the Drents Museum in Assen caused outrage in Romania and raised questions about security for priceless artefacts on loan to other countries. "It's a long-awaited result," Romanian prosecutor Daniela Buruiană told journalists. "We are happy that we are now witnessing here the recovery of the Romanian artefacts," she added. The treasures had been on loan from Romania's national history museum when they were stolen, as part of an exhibition called "Dacia - empire of gold and silver", telling the story of the civilisation and people who lived in present-day Romania before the Roman conquest in 106 AD. Their theft prompted a spat between the two governments that led to the Dutch government paying a reported €5.7m (£5m; $

Apr 2, 2026 → Apr 2, 2026