Soaring Gold Prices Lead to Disappearance of European Cultural Artifacts

Romanian National Treasure and French Gold Specimens Stolen
Unsellable Artifacts May Be Melted Down and Converted Into Gold Bars

As global gold prices continue to reach all-time highs, renowned museums across Europe are experiencing an unprecedented wave of gold artifact thefts. Experts analyze that the motivation behind these crimes lies in the value of the 'pure gold' itself, rather than their historical significance.

The most recent incident occurred in Wales, United Kingdom. In the early morning of October 6 (local time), two unidentified individuals broke into the St Fagans National Museum of History near Cardiff and stole Bronze Age gold jewelry. South Wales Police stated, "A report of a museum theft was received at around 12:30 a.m. on October 6," adding, "We are investigating the case, believing the suspects broke in without authorization, stole the artifacts, and fled the scene."

Photo for article understanding purposes only, unrelated to the article content. Pixabay

The museum is a leading cultural heritage institution in Wales, featuring over 50 reconstructed buildings such as a medieval church and a Victorian-era school within a restored 16th-century castle. The museum expressed "deep sorrow" over the incident in an official statement.

Last month, a similar theft took place at the National Museum of Natural History in central Paris, France. The thieves used specialized tools such as cutters and gas torches to break through bulletproof glass and stole four gold specimens in raw form, each with historical value. The stolen gold consisted of rare nuggets mined in the 18th and 19th centuries from French Guiana, the United States, and Australia, with a total value of 600,000 euros (approximately 1 billion won).

Earlier this year, a national treasure-level Romanian gold artifact was stolen from the Drents Museum in the Netherlands. The perpetrators used explosives to blow open the door, then stole four valuable artifacts, including the "Golden Helmet of Cotofenesti." The entire theft took only three minutes. Public criticism erupted when it was revealed that there were no night security personnel at the museum, leading to the resignation of the director of the Romanian National Museum.

Experts attribute the root cause of these thefts to the recent surge in gold prices. In the cultural heritage trade market, highly famous artifacts are nearly impossible to sell, so there is speculation that criminal organizations may melt down the artifacts and resell them as gold bars. In fact, the National Museum of Natural History in France expressed concern, stating, "For criminals, gold that can be immediately melted down is a much better choice than rare cultural assets that are difficult to distribute due to their uniqueness."

The international gold price once again reached a record high, trading at $3,971.45 per ounce. At one point, it even approached $3,977.