Overview
- The Tesoro de Villanueva display held 149 gold coins, a trove found in 1987 with pieces minted between 1772 and 1822 across Spanish and Spanish‑American mints.
- Thieves forced an iron grille, entered through a nearby window, and smashed the wall‑mounted display case while its alarm did not trigger.
- The regional culture department confirmed the museum had no closed‑circuit video system, leaving police without interior or exterior footage to review.
- Forensic officers arrived hours later to collect evidence, the museum director filed a formal complaint, and a contracted guard who reached the site at 6:45 a.m. was questioned.
- Authorities report no arrests or advances and are weighing a commissioned theft, with concern the coins may already be outside Spain.