Hours after thieves launched a brazen heist at the Louvre in Paris, another French museum was ransacked.
Authorities say a group of robbers stole 2,000 silver and gold coins worth more than $100,000 from the Maison des Lumières, House Of Enlightenment, on the night of Sunday, Oct. 19.
When the facility opened the following morning, a security guard came upon a smashed display case and realized the coins had been stolen, French media outlets reported.
People stand on Oct. 4, 2013 at the entrance of La Maison des Lumieres, the House of the Enlightenment in Langres, France.
Local officials said the culprits struck the night before, breaking into the Hôtel du Breuil-de-Saint-Germain, which houses the small museum, and forcing their way into the building before making off with the historical coins.
No arrests have been made, and authorities have not publicly identified any suspects. The museum is dedicated to French philosopher Denis Diderot and is locted in the northeastern community of Langres.
The targeted heist was largely overshadowed by the brazen theft of $102 million worth of jewelry from the Louvre hours earlier.
Masked thieves rob the Louvre in broad daylight
In that case, thieves in masks and disguised as construction workers entered through a window shortly after the museum opened on Oct. 19. They smashed a display case and grabbed eight French crown jewels as alarms blared, and the building was evacuated.
Four suspects fled on motorbikes, officials said. All told, the robbery unfolded in about seven minutes.
The incident shocked the nation and spurred questions about how one of the world’s most renowned and secure museums could be robbed in broad daylight.
Over the past two months, at least four French museums have been robbed, including the Museum of Natural History.
Contributing: N’dea Yancey-Bragg
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2,000 gold, silver coins stolen from French museum after Louvre heist
