Glow-in-the dark quarter is coin of the year

The Royal Canadian Mint’s glow-in-the-dark quarter has won the most innovative coin of the year award and become a “global phenomenon” since it was released in March 2012, the Mint says in a news release. The 25-cent piece glows in the dark with a  skeleton of dinosaur which once roamed Alberta. It is the Pachyrhinosaurus Lakustai, a new species of dinosaur discovered from a fossil found in the province. The Mint said this was the first photo-luminescent coin in the world and that subsequent releases in this “glow-in-the-dark” series have all rapidly sold out. The award is presented by Krause Publications, a Wisconsin-based media company dedicated to collectibles. An international panel of medallists, journalists, and central bank and museum officials judges the annual competition. This recognition of the Mint’s leadership in innovation will be formalized in Berlin, Germany on February 8, 2014, when the award will be presented at the World Money Fair.