Royal Canadian Mint’s “glow-in-the-dark” Dinosaur wins Award

OTTAWA – The Royal Canadian Mint announced on Tuesday that its 2012 25-cent face value “glow-in-the dark” Prehistoric Animals collector coin won the Krause Publications 2014 Coin of the Year award in the Most Innovative Coin award category. This recognition will be formalized in Berlin, Germany on February 8, 2014, when the award will be presented at the internationally-renowned World Money Fair. The Mint was also honoured to receive nominations in the following categories: Most Historically Significant Coin; Best Gold Coin; Best Silver Coin; Best Crown Coin; Best Circulation Coin; Best Bi-Metallic Coin; and Most Inspirational Coinage.

“The Mint is committed to finding new ways to innovate in all aspects of our business to benefit its Canadian and world-wide customers and to maintain our commercial success in a highly competitive environment,” said Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. “By recognizing our unique glow-in-the-dark colouring technology as the best coin innovation of 2012, this Coin of the Year Award elevates our reputation a world leader in advancing the art and science of coin manufacturing.”

A global phenomenon when it launched in March 2012, the 2012 25-cent Prehistoric Animals – Pachyrhinosaurus Lakustai collector coin was the world’s first-ever photo-luminescent coin.  Based on the discovery of a new species of dinosaur from a fossil found in the province of Alberta, a painted image of a living Pachyrhinosaurus Lakustai on a cupronickel coin disguised the skeleton of this prehistoric animal which brightly glowed only once the coin was placed in darkness.  Subsequent releases in this “glow-in-the-dark” series have all rapidly sold out.

The annual Coin of the Year competition receives nominations from an international consortium of mint representatives and numismatists. The judging is conducted by an international panel of the world’s leading mint officials, medalists, journalists, central bank and museum officials.

This is the second international award for innovation received by the Mint over the last month.  On October  29, 2013, the advanced security features developed by the Mint for Canada’s new multi-ply plated steel $1 and $2 circulation coins received the International Association of Currency Affairs’ Best New Coin Innovation Excellence in Currency Award as the world’s most significant coin security advance of the year.

SOURCE Royal Canadian Mint