Centuries'
Old
UFO Coin Remains Mystery
Fri Jan 28, 2005
4:24 pm |
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An unidentified flying object on a 17th century French coin continues
to mystify rare coin experts.
Colorado Springs, CO (PRWEB) January 28, 2005 -- After decades of
seeking possible answers about a mysterious UFO-like design on a 17th
century French copper coin, a prominent numismatic expert says it
remains just that: an unidentified flying object. After a half-century
of research, the design has defied positive identification by the
numismatic community.
"It was made in the 1680s in France and the design on one side
certainly looks like it could be a flying saucer in the clouds over the
countryside," said Kenneth E. Bressett of Colorado Springs, Colorado, a
former President of the 32,000-member American Numismatic Association
and owner of the curious coin.
"Is it supposed to be a UFO of some sort, or a symbolic
representation of the Biblical Ezekiel's wheel? After 50 years of
searching, I've heard of only one other example of it, and nothing to
explain the unusual design."
Bressett said the mysterious piece is not really a coin, but a
"jeton," a coin-like educational tool that was commonly used to help
people count money, or sometimes used as a money substitute for playing
games. It is about the size of a U.S. quarter-dollar and similar to
thousands of other jetons with different religious and educational
designs that were produced and used in Europe during the 16th and 17th
centuries.
"The design on this particular piece could be interpreted as showing
either a UFO or Ezekiel's wheel, but little else. Some people think the
Old Testament reference to Ezekiel's wheel may actually be a
description of a long-ago UFO," he explained.
"The legend written in Latin around the rim is also mystifying.
'OPPORTUNUS ADEST' translates as 'It is here at an opportune time.' Is
the object in the sky symbolic of needed rainfall, or a Biblical
reference or visitors from beyond? We probably will never know for
certain," said Bressett.
"It is part of the lure of numismatics that makes coin collecting so
intriguing."
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