The Coţofeneşti Helmet is on display for the first time since its return to the country

“From April 22 through May 3, 2026, these exceptional, recovered artifacts will be on display for the general public at the National Museum of Romanian History during visiting hours, Wednesday through Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.,” the museum announced.

The artifacts will first be presented to the press on Tuesday evening at the National Museum of Romanian History, marking their first public display since their return to the country.

The Coţofeneşti helmet and three Dacian bracelets were stolen in January 2025 from the Drents Museum in Assen, where they were on display as part of the exhibition “Dacia – The Kingdom of Gold and Silver.” The thieves used explosives to force their way into the museum, then smashed the display cases and stole the objects. The helmet and two of the bracelets were recovered in early April 2026, more than a year after the theft.

The helmet from Coţofeneşti is considered one of the most spectacular artifacts in Romania’s archaeological heritage, a piece of “exceptional archaeological, historical, and artistic value,” according to the museum.

Made of gold and dated to the 4th century B.C., the helmet is decorated with intricate motifs, including a pair of apotropaic eyes on the front and scenes of sacrifice on the cheek guards, the sides of the helmet that cover the cheeks. Experts consider it a unique artifact associated with the Getic elite and a testament to the cultural ties between the Carpathian-Danube region and the Greek or Scythian world.

Discovered in the 1920s in Prahova County, the helmet has become one of the most representative pieces of Romania’s historical treasure.