Helmet of Cotofenesti

The Helmet of Coțofenești is a Geto-Dacian helmet made of electrum dating from the second half of the 5th century BC. It was discovered in the Romanian village of Coțofenești in 1926. It was stolen in 2025 during a robbery at the Drents Museum in Assen, the Netherlands, where it was being displayed. Weighing almost a kilo, the helmet is well preserved, missing only part of its skull cap. The helmet is decorated with studs on the top of the skull and two large apotropaic eyes, meant to ward off the evil eye and magic spells. It belonged to a local Geto-Dacian king or aristocrat, from around 450 BC. The cheek-pieces show a ram being sacrificed by a man about to cut its throat.

The thieves also made off with three gold bracelets, dating from around 50 BC. The items were part of an exhibition about the Dacians, a people that occupied much of present-day Romania before being conquered by the Romans. On show since July, “Dacia: Empire of Gold and Silver” featured priceless treasures borrowed from institutions across Romania. The door to the museum was forced open with explosives. There were no guards. Three have been arrested but the artifacts have not been recovered.