MELTING POT OF HISTORY - Priceless Hoard Of 2,000-Year-Old Celtic Gold Coins Sold For Scrap Price
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A gang of crooks who stole a priceless treasure trove of 483 gold coins dating back to 100 BC has been jailed after the court heard the loot remained lost and had probably been melted down to be sold.
The Ingolstadt Regional Court in Bavaria, in Germany, sentenced three men to prison terms ranging from four to 11 years for stealing the priceless coins from the Celtic Roman Museum in Manching in 2022.
The Manching hoard was widely considered the largest Celtic gold find uncovered anywhere in the world during the 20th century, both in sheer volume and archaeological value.
It contained 483 coins and a solid gold bar, weighing nearly 4kg in total, and was discovered during excavations in 1999 at what was once a vast Celtic city in southern Germany.
The coins, dating back to around 100 BC, were crafted in Bohemia — now part of the Czech Republic — and were brought to Manching through long-distance trade networks.
Their presence showed that the ancient settlement was not just a local hub but a thriving centre of regional power and cross-border commerce in the Iron Age.
Each coin was a hand-hammered disc of pure gold, known as a Boian stater, shaped like a shallow bowl. In German folklore, these distinctive pieces were nicknamed “rainbow cups” for their shimmering appearance and mythic links to treasure at the end of a rainbow.
Archaeologists believe the treasure was buried deliberately, possibly as a ritual offering or during times of unrest. Because it was found intact and undisturbed, it offered an extraordinary glimpse into a lost civilisation — a historical insight that experts say has now been irreparably damaged.
The court had heard how it was lost when wires were cut at a telecommunications hub which resulted in local networks going dark before the heist.
The thieves managed to get in and out of the museum in nine minutes flat, at night and without triggering any of the alarms.
The coins, along with a lump of unworked gold, were first discovered during excavations of an ancient settlement in Manching in 1999, according to reports, with the authorities saying they are considered to be the biggest trove of Celtic gold found in the 20th century.
While most of the treasure is still missing, some lumps of gold were found on one of the defendants during their arrest, leading investigators to believe that at least some of the unique, irreplaceable coins, have been melted down.
Although four men were convicted in the trial, only three of the four defendants were found guilty of the Manching museum burglary.
The presiding judge stated that the involvement of the fourth defendant could not be proven.
Therefore, the defendant was acquitted in that case, but convicted of other crimes committed by the gang, who are on the hook for 20 break-ins and attempted robberies.
The crimes were carried out in Germany and neighbouring Austria, starting in 2014. Other cases involved safes or cash machines being broken into.
The defendants did not address the charges during the trial, which had lasted about six months, but their legal teams called for them to be acquitted.
The court, however, found them guilty and sentenced them to prison terms ranging from four years and nine months to 11 years.
(Joseph Golder / newsX)
NewsX-FourPeopleArrested-01.jpg
Copyright: Polizei Bayern/Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Image shows the Celtic gold coins, undated photo. Four people were arrested after 486 coins were stolen from a museum in the town of Manching, Bavaria State, Germany, on Tuesday, November 22, 2022. Note: Licensed content. (Polizei Bayern/Newsflash)
NewsX-FourPeopleArrested-02.jpg
Copyright: Polizei Bayern/Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Image shows a Celtic pot of gold in the floor display case in the Celtic Roman Museum, in the town of Manching, Bavaria State, Germany, undated photo. Four people were arrested for stealing 486 gold coins worth more than EUR 3 million (GBP 2.6 million) on Tuesday, November 22, 2022. Note: Licensed content. (Polizei Bayern/Newsflash)
NewsX-FourPeopleArrested-03.jpg
Copyright: Polizei Bayern/Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Image shows three Celtic gold coins, undated photo. Four people were arrested after 486 coins were stolen from a museum in the town of Manching, Bavaria State, Germany, on Tuesday, November 22, 2022. Note: Licensed content. (Polizei Bayern/Newsflash)
NewsX-FourPeopleArrested-04.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Image shows the golden coins that were stolen, undated photo. They disappeared over night from the Celtic and Roman Museum in the municipality of Munching, in Bavaria, Germany on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video. (Newsflash)
NewsX-FourPeopleArrested-05.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Image shows the golden coins that were stolen, undated photo. They disappeared over night from the Celtic and Roman Museum in the municipality of Munching, in Bavaria, Germany on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video. (Newsflash)
NewsX-FourPeopleArrested-06.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Image shows the golden coins that were stolen, undated photo. They disappeared over night from the Celtic and Roman Museum in the municipality of Munching, in Bavaria, Germany on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video. (Newsflash)
NewsX-FourPeopleArrested-07.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Image shows some of the golden coins that were stolen, undated photo. They disappeared over night from the Celtic and Roman Museum in the municipality of Munching, in Bavaria, Germany on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video. (Newsflash)
NewsX-FourPeopleArrested-08.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Image shows some of the golden coins that were stolen, undated photo. They disappeared over night from the Celtic and Roman Museum in the municipality of Munching, in Bavaria, Germany on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video. (Newsflash)
NewsX-FourPeopleArrested-09.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Image shows some of the golden coins that were stolen, undated photo. They disappeared over night from the Celtic and Roman Museum in the municipality of Munching, in Bavaria, Germany on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video. (Newsflash)
NewsX-FourPeopleArrested-10.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Image shows some of the golden coins that were stolen, undated photo. They disappeared over night from the Celtic and Roman Museum in the municipality of Munching, in Bavaria, Germany on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video. (Newsflash)
NewsX-FourPeopleArrested-11.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Image shows the Celtic And Roman Museum in the municipality of Manching, Bavaria, Germany, undated photo. A total of 483 golden coins worth up to EUR 3 million (GBP 2.6 million) were stolen on Tuesday night, Nov. 22, 2022. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video. (Newsflash)
NewsX-FourPeopleArrested-12.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Image shows the Celtic And Roman Museum in the municipality of Manching, Bavaria, Germany, undated photo. A total of 483 golden coins worth up to EUR 3 million (GBP 2.6 million) were stolen on Tuesday night, Nov. 22, 2022. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video. (Newsflash)
NewsX-FourPeopleArrested-13.jpg
Copyright: Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Image shows the Celtic And Roman Museum in the municipality of Manching, Bavaria, Germany, undated photo. A total of 483 golden coins worth up to EUR 3 million (GBP 2.6 million) were stolen on Tuesday night, Nov. 22, 2022. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video. (Newsflash)
Byline Journalist: Joseph Golder
Byline Sub editor: Joseph Golder
Byline Spotter: Aloysius Fernandes
Byline Commisioning Editor: Aloysius Fernandes
Byline Senior Writer: Joseph Golder
Byline Copychecker: Angela Trajkovska
Byline Illustrator: Angela Trajkovska
Byline News Editor: Mike Leidig
Geography: Manching
Subject: Valuables, Gold
T4 Editor Story Rating: 6
T4 Editor Pic/Vid rating: 7
T4 Total rating: 6.5
