Dutch art detective Arthur Brand, who tracks missing artworks, was handed six paintings stolen from the town hall of Medemblik in the northern Netherlands last month. CNN reports this.

Despite the fact that the paintings are valued at less than 10,000 euros, according to Brand, the artworks hold significant historical value. The returned collection includes portraits of the ancient ruler Radboud (the local university is named after him), Prince William of Orange, Maurice of Orange, Count Jan van Nassau, and Queen Wilhelmina.

Brand explained that on a Friday evening, he was watching a “boring” football match when the doorbell rang. An unknown man asked the art expert to help unload a van. When asked what needed unloading, the stranger replied, “paintings from Medemblik.” Brand brought the artworks into his apartment and immediately called the police. Presumably, the thief had already vanished by that time.

After the September theft, Brand told the local press that the thieves should have stolen six bicycles because they would have been easier to resell. According to the art detective, the thieves had two options with the paintings. The first was to burn them to eliminate evidence, and the second was to leave the canvases for him. “I’m very glad they made the right choice,” Brand noted.

The authorities in Medemblik had offered a reward for the return of the paintings, but Brand declined to take any money. “I’d rather ask the town hall for a voucher for a good book,” the art detective concluded.