Burglars steal $50,000 in silver from Hecla Mining headquarters

A brick of silver weighing as much as a golden retriever was among the loot stolen recently from the Coeur d’Alene corporate headquarters of Hecla Mining Company.

The bar and an untold number of silver medallions were stolen from a metal safety deposit box sometime between Dec. 28 and Jan. 9, according to a statement issued Wednesday by Coeur d’Alene police Sgt. Christie Wood.

Police said the 1,000 troy ounce silver bar and the 1-ounce medallions make the burglary worth at least $50,000.

Based on Wednesday’s investment market spot price for silver, the bar would be worth about $9,000. Silver medallions stamped with the Hecla logo fetch $35 from the Northwest Territorial Mint of Auburn, Wash.

Hecla Vice President Vicki Veltkamp said the bar and medallions were the personal property of employees. She said the 1,000 ounce silver bars are popular with investors. The bars are roughly the same size as a loaf of bread and weigh 68 ½ pounds.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call the Coeur d’Alene police tip line at (208) 769-2296. Veltkamp said Hecla is offering a “generous” reward in the case.