There is an Unofficial Rivalry Between International Mints
March 5, 2023 3:35 PM Subscribe
One question remains: What happened to the Big Maple Leaf coin?
DUDE. You're about to get cut in on the proceeds of the pending theft of 100kg of gold. Consider paying for the gas to be an investment.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 4:47 PM on March 5, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 4:47 PM on March 5, 2023 [6 favorites]
You can tell it's Girl Scout Cookie season here by the embarrassingly long time it took me to realize that this post wasn't talking about something like Altoids vs Andes.
posted by LionIndex at 5:00 PM on March 5, 2023 [13 favorites]
posted by LionIndex at 5:00 PM on March 5, 2023 [13 favorites]
Yeah, this post isn't as flavorful and refreshing as hoped. :)
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:48 PM on March 5, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:48 PM on March 5, 2023 [2 favorites]
One of these giant coins is in the ROM museum in Toronto, and it really is amazing to see. I’m glad to know one of its siblings got to be part of a glamorous museum heist!
posted by Valancy Rachel at 6:50 PM on March 5, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Valancy Rachel at 6:50 PM on March 5, 2023 [2 favorites]
Just wait until Joe Biden mints the trillion dollar coin. I assume it will be either gigantic or comically tiny. Either way, it a great heist subject.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 7:58 PM on March 5, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 7:58 PM on March 5, 2023 [3 favorites]
B2 bandits, as defined by Cippola, are the worst scum of all. These assholes managed to destroy vast wealth while marginally enriching themselves.
posted by Meatbomb at 1:25 AM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Meatbomb at 1:25 AM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
There was an article in the local Berlin paper a year or so after the theft which connected a crash on Kurfürstendamm (an un-likely yet popular place for driving way, way too fast - Kuh-damm is a busy boulevard lined with mostly 'fancy' shops and lots of traffic during the day) - with the theft. Police found traces (pieces?) of gold that were directly linked to the coin. It turned out a bunch of yahoos were using it like Pirate-booty instead of quietly 'washing' it - didn't these guys ever see "Goodfellas"? No, it would appear, no they had not.
A not insignificant point from the article that I didn't know about was the connection to the Green Vault in Dresden. The coin was physically large (hilariously, ridiculously large) but the Green Vault was proper Pirate-Booty. And (probably irrelevant, but still) in the heart of Saxony and these days Saxony is as friendly to _any_ non-white much less non-Germans as uh ... fill in the florid analogy of your choice, so long as it depicts blind, stupid hatred of one group of people by another. Really, the Saxons are a bit loopy on this point. ...enough that it kinda hints at a possible story, a group of, uh, coarse Saxons are led to believe they can exact revenge on a Berlin 'Clan' for the theft of the jewels. Hijinxs ensue!
Recently had a conversation with one of our kids (the 19 year old who gets around more than we do) about Döner stands (here in Berlin) and their conclusion was that the Clan-affiliated ones were most often the worst ones... Which gave me the chance to instruct them in the utility of a cash business for washing money - that is, these stands don't care about the glory of preparing a delicious Döner, they're just moving commodity X around. And that's why when Arafat Abou-Chaker went down for his dealings with Bushido, he lost control of the place down the street - that was perfectly ok if not actually good - to some other clan who, one day to the next (literally the day About-Chaker was hauled into court) took over and started making just garbage food. That's all raw conjecture based on coiincidence and rumour.
posted by From Bklyn at 3:07 AM on March 6, 2023 [3 favorites]
A not insignificant point from the article that I didn't know about was the connection to the Green Vault in Dresden. The coin was physically large (hilariously, ridiculously large) but the Green Vault was proper Pirate-Booty. And (probably irrelevant, but still) in the heart of Saxony and these days Saxony is as friendly to _any_ non-white much less non-Germans as uh ... fill in the florid analogy of your choice, so long as it depicts blind, stupid hatred of one group of people by another. Really, the Saxons are a bit loopy on this point. ...enough that it kinda hints at a possible story, a group of, uh, coarse Saxons are led to believe they can exact revenge on a Berlin 'Clan' for the theft of the jewels. Hijinxs ensue!
Recently had a conversation with one of our kids (the 19 year old who gets around more than we do) about Döner stands (here in Berlin) and their conclusion was that the Clan-affiliated ones were most often the worst ones... Which gave me the chance to instruct them in the utility of a cash business for washing money - that is, these stands don't care about the glory of preparing a delicious Döner, they're just moving commodity X around. And that's why when Arafat Abou-Chaker went down for his dealings with Bushido, he lost control of the place down the street - that was perfectly ok if not actually good - to some other clan who, one day to the next (literally the day About-Chaker was hauled into court) took over and started making just garbage food. That's all raw conjecture based on coiincidence and rumour.
posted by From Bklyn at 3:07 AM on March 6, 2023 [3 favorites]
It’s likely no single piece of currency has been so stripped of so much value.
I would imagine that the parties who owned the coin recovered its value from insurance, and there seems little stopping the RCM from minting another coin for the price of what was recovered from insurance. This does not seem like destroying a priceless and irreplaceable cultural artifact.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 3:21 AM on March 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
I would imagine that the parties who owned the coin recovered its value from insurance, and there seems little stopping the RCM from minting another coin for the price of what was recovered from insurance. This does not seem like destroying a priceless and irreplaceable cultural artifact.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 3:21 AM on March 6, 2023 [4 favorites]
Actually apparently insurance didn't fully pay out...
Fuchsmann's insurance paid only 20% of the coin's value, arguing that negligence by the museum was to blame for the loss. After a lawsuit, the insurance company was ordered to pay 50% of the value.
From the Wiki page... original article is in German and behind a pay wall
posted by cirhosis at 6:52 AM on March 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
Fuchsmann's insurance paid only 20% of the coin's value, arguing that negligence by the museum was to blame for the loss. After a lawsuit, the insurance company was ordered to pay 50% of the value.
From the Wiki page... original article is in German and behind a pay wall
posted by cirhosis at 6:52 AM on March 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
The absolute stupidity that leads to a breakthrough in investigating a crime like this is always amazing to me. Floor plans of the museum in the backseat of your car? The other dude kept the gloves with broken glass on them? Search history about melting gold and photos of the escape route?
posted by SoberHighland at 7:10 AM on March 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by SoberHighland at 7:10 AM on March 6, 2023 [2 favorites]
My favourite bit in this story is where the police didn't come right away, because it was only one coin stolen.
posted by jacquilynne at 7:37 AM on March 6, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by jacquilynne at 7:37 AM on March 6, 2023 [3 favorites]
Actually apparently insurance didn't fully pay out...
Good catch.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 8:18 AM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
Good catch.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 8:18 AM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
As we all know it is important to be smart from the very beginning.
posted by Mitheral at 3:35 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Mitheral at 3:35 PM on March 6, 2023 [1 favorite]
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Owing to its dimensions and weight, we do know it didn't leave via the rear.
A police officer remembered Denis W. from three weeks before the theft. He had pulled him over for filling up at a gas station, then driving off without paying, all while using a fake license plate in case cameras caught the act. The officer at the time had noticed Bode Museum floor plans in the back seat, as well as screwdrivers and nylon gloves in the trunk. Later, it would also be discovered that Denis W. had photos of the museum that corresponded with the thieves’ escape route.
The butt gold guy had a better plan.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 4:39 PM on March 5, 2023 [1 favorite]