2021 Montreal Incident UFO 1oz Silver Coin-Canada's Unexplained Phenomena-Blacklight-Fresnel effect
A coin with two dynamic technologies!
Relive a famous UFO sighting in downtown Montréal!
Dubbed the “Montréal Incident,” this famous UFO sighting has been re-created on our fourth Unexplained Phenomena coin. Its colourful, glow-in-the-dark design transports you to the rooftop pool at the Hôtel Bonaventure Montréal on the night of November 7, 1990, when a mysterious object suddenly appeared in the sky.
• Under normal lighting, the unique Fresnel optical effect alters that way light reflects on the coin depending on your viewing angle—tilt the coin and you’ll see! •
• Shine the included blacklight onto the coin, and the UFO’s light beams are enhanced revealing the mysterious starship. •
Special features:
Design:
The reverse design by Canadian graphic design artist Patrick Belanger features the artist’s rendition of an aerial UFO phenomenon that occurred on November 7, 1990 in Montréal, Que. The colourful image shows the event from the perspective of those who spotted the object from the rooftop pool at the Hôtel Bonaventure Montréal. The object’s bright light beams are amplified by black light paint technology and an engineered Fresnel effect, which varies the intensity of reflected light depending on the viewing angle. The obverse features a field pattern and the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.
"I clearly remember that night, when the whole family was watching a news story about an unidentified object in the Montréal sky, and it totally captured my attention. This coin design gave me an opportunity to marvel and recreate the energy I felt that evening, and it has rekindled my childhood fascination with UFOs.” – Patrick Belanger, Artist
“This is my second project within the Canada’s Unexplained Phenomena series and I can truly say that these coins are among my favourites! The stories are mysterious and intriguing, and they will open your mind to the possibility that UFOs exist.” – Christa Bruce, Product Manager
“The Place Bonaventure UFO was seen by dozens of witnesses as it seemed to hover over the hotel’s rooftop pool. Guests alerted hotel staff, including a security guard, who in turn called a newspaper reporter, all of whom said they watched the stationary object hanging in the sky, displaying an odd “clocklike” pattern of lights. Photos taken that night remain hotly disputed as to what they depict: A reflection of underwater pool lights? Spotlights on a nearby skyscraper? Northern Lights? Even RCMP were mystified that night, and the incident is still regarded today as one of Canada’s most curious UFO cases.” – Chris Rutkowski, Science Writer
“This was a fun design to model since I stayed at this hotel a few years after the Montréal Incident. Given the three-quarter perspective, I thought it would be wise to create concentric ovals radiating from the UFO and a Fresnel lens effect for the six beams of light—this helps reflect the light in a unique way. For the colour application, the challenge was to align the paint files with the many straight, hard lines in the design—buildings, windows, steps, pool deck and swimming pool—and this made for an interesting effect as the light beams can also be seen on the pool surface.” – Stan Witten, Senior Engraver
Did you know?
• November 7, 1990, 7:20 p.m.: A tourist was enjoying a relaxing swim in the rooftop pool of the Hôtel Bonaventure Montréal, when suddenly, green and yellow light beams emanating from a large, metallic object lit up the night sky. The woman alerted the lifeguard, who called the hotel’s security guard; soon, guests, hotel staff and management had gathered to view this anomalous aerial object, which continued to hover in place. When the light beams suddenly became brighter, police were called in. Baffled, the first officer on the scene contacted his superiors, and before long, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Canadian military and even NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) were reportedly looking into this strange object. Sometime after 10 p.m., dense cloud cover obscured the view of the UFO, but photographs taken by a journalist provide compelling physical evidence of this unexplained phenomenon.
Packaging:
Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a black Royal Canadian Mint-branded clamshell with a black beauty box