Investigators with the Philadelphia Police Department in Pennsylvania are probing the April 13 theft of an estimated $200,000 face value in 2023-P Roosevelt dimes (2 million coins) from an unattended semi trailer parked in a Walmart shopping center lot in the northeast section of the city.

The trailer held a contracted shipment of $750,000 face value in dimes (7.5 million coins) from Philadelphia Mint production bound for Florida for eventual circulation distribution.

Public Affairs Police Officer Eric Mclaurin detailed to Coin World April 14 that authorities were notified at 6:06 a.m. April 13 that a group of 10 or more men were stealing from a semi trailer parked in the Walmart parking lot on Byberry Road.

Officers arriving on scene discovered the trailer with its rear doors unlocked and numerous dimes scattered on the asphalt. Police were able to locate the driver for the contracted shipment and learned the driver had parked the trailer at the Walmart with the trailer doors locked, and driven home to get some sleep before driving the coins to an undisclosed destination in Florida. Mclaurin explained the contents of the total shipment had been contained in 15 metal containers.

Those believed responsible for the theft of the freshly struck coins were wearing black clothing and gray hoodies and traveling in a white Chrysler 300 car with dark tinted windows as well as a dark-colored pickup truck. Anyone with information on the theft are asked to contact Philadelphia police at 215-686-3388/89.

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