Commemorative Canadian quarters with glow-in-the-dark dino skeletons

Tim Hornyak writes about the new oversized Canadian commemorative quarters, which will feature glowing dinosaur skeletons, which is exactly what I've always wanted on all my money.

Made of cupronickel, the coin has a face value of 25 cents but is much larger than a regular Canuck quarter.

It shows an artist's rendering of Pachyrhinosaurus lakustai, a 4-ton, 26-foot dinosaur discovered in Alberta in 1972. It's the first in a four-coin series of photo-luminescent prehistoric creatures.

The mint says the skeleton can best be seen after the coin is exposed to sunlight, or to fluorescent or incandescent light for 30-60 seconds, adding that the luminescence won't fade with time.

Canada's newest coin glows in the dark (Thanks, Fipi Lele!)

• [Christopher]

  I collect foreign coins, and particularly love Canadian coins (I started with them because they so often turned up in loose change). Normally I prefer to stick to coins that will actually circulate, even if I purchase them in uncirculated condition.

  I’m assuming these, unlike Canada’s red poppy and pink ribbon quarters, will not actually circulate, but I still want one. Or more. Glow in the dark coins…that’s awesome.

  • [Dan Hibiki]

     Not for circulation. Good thing too, it would be a shame to wear them all off by putting them in circulation.

    • [Christopher]

      Good point. You might also have problems like the one caused by the 2004 Canadian quarter with a red poppy on it. One of those turned up in the Pentagon and apparently someone thought it was a listening device.

      I can’t imagine what kind of panic glowing dinosaur coins would cause if they turned up in someone’s pocket change. The US would probably end up invading. Blame Canada!

      • [Dan Hibiki]

         that’s not so much a problem as it is hilarious.

        Also US quarters are three layered, and make for great listening devices.

• [therantguy]

  Of course the glow in the dark effect will fade with time…

  • [Andy Murdock]

    True, so why bother. We’re all doomed anyway.

  • [Antinous / Moderator]

    All part of God’s plan.

    • [benher]

      Are you suggesting that the Canadian government is “putting” these coins there to test our faith?

  • [Jake0748]

     Umm… no it won’t… THEY said so. (see above).

    • [Simon Boocock]

      Actually, I think the yahoo story misstates the Canadian mint. The Canadian mint asserts that the luminescent emblazon will not wear over time. (Meaning it is hard to rub off). Yahoo restates that as “will not fade” which, in the context of luminescent intensity has an entirely different meaning.
      All luminescent compounds will fade in intensity until once again recharged by exposure to light.

      • [Simon Boocock]

        Here is the link to the Canadian Mint’s description - 
        http://www.mint.ca/store/coin/dinosaur-25cent-coloured-glowinthedark-coin-2012-prod1290004
        Special features:• For best effect, place the coin in sunlight, fluorescent, or incandescent light for 30 – 60 seconds then bring the coin into the dark to reveal the skeleton of the dinosaur! • Turn off the lights and discover the Pachyrhinosaurus’s glowing skeleton!• Photo-luminescent will not wear!• Limited to 25,000 coins worldwide.• Designs approved by the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology.

• [RHK]

  Kinda sad the QE side won’t have a glow in the dark skull.

• [Preston Sturges]

  Paleontologists are still mystified by its three front legs and one back leg.

• [Douglas Ross]

  Queen Elizabeth II on the ‘heads’ side should have her skull glowing as well.

• [DevinC]

  Yeeeah, in your face U.S.!

  Who da man of North America now?  We da man!  The polite, perennially refrigerated DINOSAUR-LOVIN man!  

  In your face!  

  (Because you should look at these things very closely, because they are awesome.)

  • [morgane]

    hum. 

    right now, i would exchange our Prime Minister for their President in an heartbeat. So hold on the victory party festivities. We have an anti-science, anti-environment PM to deal with for 3 more years. That makes me damn scared.

    • [Warren Grant]

       Wait till after the next US election, they may end up with an anti-science, anti-environment President too, if Romney takes it.

• [David Gaffney]

  Our new 50 dollar bill smells faintly of Maple Syrup as well. No joke. 

  • [Preston Sturges]

    I got back to the states and as I fished out a crisp ATM $20 for the airport lounge bartender I said “Do you know what makes American money so special?” to which he replied “The smell?” and I was like “Hell yes!”

    • [Moriarty]

       Cocaine and ass?

      • [Jake0748]

         Well, maybe not so much “ass” as butt-cheek?

        • [Dlo Burns]

          well it should be folded in leather

• [penguinchris]

  I was excited to learn of these a few days ago and was planning on trying to find some since I live on the border and have friends in Toronto. Then I found out that you’ll only be able to get them at post offices and they’ll cost $30 each. 

  I wouldn’t mind paying a small premium, but that’s a bit much. It’s a shame because that price means few people besides serious coin collectors will buy these. I hope at least that a few are bought as gifts for kids.

  • [Preston Sturges]

    Except Canada doesn’t have “post offices,” so you have to go to the postage counter at the Rexall pharmacy. 

    • [bytefyre]

      We do have post offices, there’s one in my hometown it could be just that its pretty small (only 25k) I’ve never actually seen a Post Office in the city. that’s where they keep the “Post Office” boxes :P

      • [Jardine]

        My village has one too. Larger cities seem to mostly get door-to-door delivery so you only go to the post office to mail a package.

    • [BombBlastLightingWaltz]

      that would be a postal outlet. 

      Canada Post does have operating Post Offices in large urban centres, but rural areas may not. 

• [urpBurp]

  This is not a “Want”… it’s a “Need, Need, Need”…

• [technogeekagain]

  Hm. I may have to swing by the post awful next time I go North. That is definitely cute.

• [Itsumishi]

  I hope they’ll still kicking around come September when I’m in that half of the world. These are radio.

• [kringlebertfistyebuns]

  These are available on the Royal Canadian Mint’s website:

  http://www.mint.ca/store/coin/dinosaur-25cent-coloured-glowinthedark-coin-2012-prod1290004 

  I purchased two – shipped to the US, the total was $72.89.

• [Martijn Vos]

  How come the Canadian Mint is so awesome?

  • [Warren Grant]

     Have you seen our new bills? They are very cool IMHO. Polymer, with a clear patch that has holograms inside it, plus braille like 3d areas. The $100 and $50 bills are out, but not any of the others just yet. They are going to be very hard to counterfeit and the bills should be a lot more durable than the old cloth/paper ones. Here’s some video:
    http://www.bankofcanada.ca/banknotes/

• [Listener43]

  I’m pretty sure there’s a missing meta-tarsal in the left rear foot.
  It’s hard to be absolutely certain because of the pixels.

• [a_w_young]

  The Harper Conservative  government decided to retire the penny so they could make glow-in-the-dark quarters featuring images of their caucus on them.

• [Simon Boocock]

  Here is the actual description of the pieces at the Canadian Mint. http://www.mint.ca/store/coin/dinosaur-25cent-coloured-glowinthedark-coin-2012-prod1290004