A treasure trove of coins and bracelets from the 1st century that were stolen from western Romania and illegally smuggled out of the country has been put on display.

The gold and silver artifacts, stolen between 2000 and 2001, were presented Thursday at Romania's National History Museum, after being found in Austria and returned following a cross-border investigation.

The artifacts were taken from archaeological sites previously inhabited by Dacians in an area that is now modern-day Romania. General Prosecutor Augustin Lazar said 21 people have been convicted in the thefts.

Museum curator Ernest Oberlander-Tarnoveanu said it was "one of the finest recoveries of Dacian treasure in last 200 years" and called their return "a moment of joy, hope and ... pride."