Canada is absolutely glowing about the new two-dollar coins that the Royal Canadian Mint has created to celebrate the country’s 150th birthday. The mint is releasing luminescent Toonies, as the coins are affectionately called, showing a canoe on a placid lake, with the Northern Lights in the background. In daylight, the scene is a brilliant blue and green, but in the dark, the Aurora Borealis depicted on the coin casts an eerie glow. About 3,000 of the coins will be put into circulation across Canada, making it the first luminescent coin in general use. The mint already created the first glowing coin in 2012 -- a limited-edition, collectors-only quarter featuring a dinosaur that turns into a glowing skeleton in the dark.
A night light for your pocket:
- The Toonie will be the first colored bi-metallic coin ever produced. It will mark the 1867 confederation of the Canadian colonies into the Dominion of Canada.
- The innovative mint also plans to release another collectible glow-in-the-dark coin for the festivities, featuring the Canadian flag in front of a glowing fireworks display.
- The Royal Canadian Mint produces currency for many other countries around the world, including Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jamaica.