UFO-Themed Coin Adds New Dimension to Royal Canadian Mint’s Latest Offerings

The Falcon Lake Incident of 1967 is remembered on a glow-in-the-dark, ovoid-shaped coin

The fascinating tale of one of Canada’s most famous UFO encounters, has been brought back to life on the 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin – Canada’s Unexplained Phenomena: The Falcon Lake Incident, the Mint’s first shaped coin featuring a glow-in-the-dark effect.

The incredible account of amateur prospector Stefan Michalak, who said he witnessed a flying saucer while walking Manitoba woods on May 20, 1967 and was mysteriously burned by a suspected engine blast, is retold in an action-packed, full-color illustration by artist Joel Kimmel. To complete its dramatic effect, photoluminescent outlines of the UFO, its beam-like blast and the silhouette of an injured Michalak, glow in the dark under black light. This phenomenal keepsake, and many other new arrivals, are now available for purchase.

Still more shapes and innovations have landed on the pages of the Royal Canadian Mint’s new catalogue. The 2018 $10 Fine Silver Coins – Black and White Yin and Yang: Tiger and Dragon are crafted in the well-known curved teardrop contour that illustrates the Chinese concept of opposite forces achieving balance. In vividly colored designs by artist Simon Ng, an intricate dragon is contrasted against a traditionally white Yang background, while an equally stunning tiger leaps from the blackness of the Yin coin. Both nestle together to form a perfect circle.

Artist Maurade Baynton has designed an elegant addition to a long line of royal-themed coins, featuring the addition of a Swarovski® pearl crystal on the 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Maple Leaves Brooch. Finished in red-hued enamel and enhanced by sparkling finishes, this 116-year-old brooch, symbolic of Canada’s affection for its Monarch, is accompanied by Her Majesty’s Royal Cypher and the engraving of a flowing rose garland.

A “cool” innovation can also be found on the 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin Frozen in Ice – Woolly Mammoths, featuring a frosted ice-like dome covering the colored portion of Glen Loates’ design of majestic creatures from Canada’s last Ice Age. This coin is the first in a new series that will celebrate other amazing specimens of our prehistoric wildlife.

New collector coins offered this month include:

• The 2018 $100 Fine Silver Coin – The Angel of Victory: 100th Anniversary of the First World War Armistice, designed by Pandora Young and meticulously engraved in 10 oz. of pure silver;
• The 2018 $25 Fine Silver Coin – Thunderbird, an engraved and colored tribute to Northwest Coast First Nations culture by artist Andy Everson, while another of his new designs appears on the selectively colored 2018 $100 14-Karat Gold Coin – Frog Reveals A Gift;
• The 2018 Circulation Coin Roll – 50 Cents, as well as a new 2018 Special Wrap Collection – First Strikes in 2018, featuring limited-edition rolls of all five currently circulating denominations;
• The glow-in-the-dark 2018 $30 Fine Silver Coin – Arctic Animals and Northern Lights: Snowy Owl, designed by artist Trevor Tennant;
• The 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin – Majestic Wildlife: Mettlesome Mountain Goat, featuring a colored design by artist Pierre Leduc;
• The 2018 $15 Fine Silver Coin – Magnificent Bald Eagle, featuring the three of these legendary birds of prey in a profile illustration by artist Tony Bianco;
• The 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin – Geometric Fauna Series: Snowy Owls, blending low poly art and realist illustrations by Claude Thivierge;
• A new trio of maple leaf-inspired collectibles: the 2018 $200 Pure Gold 2-Coin Set _ Enchanting Maple Leaves, designed by Nathalie Lagacé; the 2018 $300 Pure Platinum Coin – Maple Leaf Forever, by Pierre Leduc; and the Stanley Witten-designed 2018 $500 Pure Gold Coin – Maple Leaves;
• The 2018 $10 Fine Silver Coin – Star Trek™: Enterprise NX-01, featuring another famed starship of the enduring pop culture phenomenon, in color and enhanced by glow-in-the-dark technology;
• The 2018 $3 Fine Silver Coin – Caribou, featuring artist Steve McPhee’s modern take on an icon of Canadian wildlife;
• The 2018 $3 Fine Silver Coin – The Thirteen Teachings from Grandmother Moon: Sucker Moon, designed by Frank Polson; and,
• The crystal-enhanced 2018 $5 Fine Silver Coin – Birthstones: May, featuring a mandala-inspired diamond design by artist Pandora Young.

Mintages, pricing and full background information on each coin can be found on the “Shop” tab of www.mint.ca.

The products can be ordered directly from the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the US, or online at www.mint.ca. The coins are also available at the Royal Canadian Mint’s boutiques in Ottawa and Winnipeg, as well as through our global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.

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About the Royal Canadian Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown Corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada’s circulation coins. An ISO 9001-2008 certified company, the Mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale. For more information on the Mint, its products and services, visit www.mint.ca.