Canada’s latest coin seems like it’s straight from the ThinkGeek product catalog. But we’ve checked, and it indeed is from the Mint.
The Pachyrhinosaurus lakustai dinosaur coin is the first of a four-coin series featuring glow-in-the-dark prehistoric creatures. To unlock its photo-luminescence, place the coin in direct light for 30 to 60 seconds. When it’s placed in a dark space, the skeleton of the dinosaur lights up. The limited-edition coin will have a run of 25,000 copies, each retailing for far more than a Canadian quarter at $29.95 CAD.
Since this isn’t currency for spending, it arrives in fancy packaging: a Royal Canadian Mint-branded maroon clamshell case protected by a customized glow-in-the-dark sleeve.
Canadian paleontologists are beside themselves. Now to pick up another hobby besides dinosaur bones: coin collecting.
