Priceless 2,500-year-old helmet recovered from theft suspects

A priceless ancient golden helmet from Romania that was stolen last year from a museum in the Netherlands, sending shockwaves through the art world, has been recovered as part of a plea deal reached with the suspects.

- Senay Boztas Assen Andrei Popoviciu

Guarded by balaclava-wearing police, prosecutors unveiled the 2,500-year-old Cotofeneşti helmet - considered a cultural icon of Romania - at a news conference yesterday in the eastern Dutch city of Assen.

Dating from the lost Dacian civilisation around 450BC, the helmet was stolen together with three golden bracelets from the Drents Museum in January last year.

Robert van Langh, the director of the Drents Museum, said yesterday that the objects were of inestimable historical value and that their return was a “wow” moment.

“On the golden helmet of Cotofeneşti, as you can see, two eyes are depicted,” he said. “They are meant to protect both the wearer and the helmet itself against the evil eye, against misfortune. They have done so successfully for centuries, and even today they seem to prove their value.”

The stolen items had been on loan from the Romanian National History Museum in Bucharest. The theft made international headlines, led to diplomatic tensions between Romania and the Netherlands and sparked an international treasure hunt.