glow-in-the-dark coins

The new commemorative coin, issued in value of one dollar in Barbados, features glow-in-the-dark technology on its colored reverse. .

On December 1st, the Bank of Barbados issued one million one-dollar coins, which have a face value convertible to 50 US cents. The coins were minted at the Royal Canadian Mint and are said to be the first glow-in-the-dark coins circulating outside of Canada.

The coin features the same design as regular Barbados $1 coins, but the flying fish and waves on the reverse are painted a light blue. This paint has a special property that absorbs energy from the sun or other light sources. In a dark environment, if the coin absorbs enough energy, it will glow.

When given enough energy, the coins will glow for a few minutes, with the first minute or so being the brightest. Once all the stored energy is used up, the coin will stop glowing. After further exposure to light, it will glow again.

“This is the first currency of its kind in the Caribbean,” said Octavia Gibson, deputy director of the currency department at the Central Bank of Barbados, in a press release. “The fact that it is a circulating currency makes it even more special because it means more people will be able to access it.”

Gibson said that while the central bank usually tries to discourage the public from collecting coins, it is encouraging it this time. “We know that because of the uniqueness of these coins, people will want to keep them, and we want them to. We want Barbadians to collect them.“.

The Royal Canadian Mint has previously produced glow-in-the-dark coins only for Canada, and once before for Barbados, a limited-edition Batman collector's coin. This is the first glow-in-the-dark coin issued in the Caribbean and one of a very few in the world.

The bank said that a “few thousand” specially packaged coins are being distributed to some key workers in Barbados, but the vast majority will go into circulation.

Source CoinWorld