Paris' iconic monument is the Eiffel Tower, something that your average 5th grade kid can tell you. But built around the same time was the aureate Pont Alexandre III bridge. This sparkling bridge however is not the same since a few days. A theft has bereft it of a few bronze plaques that simply downsize the beauty by a little.

The ingenious thieves managed to knock off the plates with no security to threaten them but the intricately carved statues of the nymphs and flying horses on the Seine River. The plaques bear the name of the monument and are not worth much in monetary terms. However the history is what speaks in such situations but the officials refused to reveal the actual historical price that the plaques could fetch.

It is made of bronze which is generally being stolen and sold at ten euros per Kg. That is too cheap for a heist. Or not really. After the economic slowdown, there were several thefts of metal in petty acts for the little money they brought. The artifacts could have also been stolen by collectors who value the historical worth of the plaques.

Paris values the bridge to be the most elegant in France opening in 1900's World Fair of the Belle Epoque period.

(AW- Anil)