Gold Specimens Stolen from Paris Natural History Museum Amid Series of Cultural Institution Thefts

Thieves broke into Paris's Natural History Museum early Tuesday morning, stealing gold specimens valued at approximately $700,000. The intruders reportedly used an angle grinder and a blow torch to gain entry into the museum's geology and mineralogy gallery. The stolen items are native gold specimens, which, while valued at around 600,000 euros based on raw gold prices, hold significant heritage value.

An unnamed police source indicated that the museum's alarm and surveillance systems had been disabled by a cyberattack in July, suggesting the thieves were aware of this vulnerability. The museum acknowledged the incident, noting that several public collections have been targeted by thefts in recent months.

This theft follows a series of similar incidents in France. Earlier this month, the Adrien Dubouché National Museum in Limoges experienced a break-in where thieves stole two dishes and a vase in Chinese porcelain, classified as national treasures, with losses estimated at 6.5 million euros. In November 2024, the Cognacq-Jay Museum in Paris was targeted by four men armed with axes and baseball bats, who stole several 18th-century works, resulting in an insurance payout of over $4 million to the Royal Collection Trust.