The world’s first “flying coin” has been created by the Mint of Poland (Mennica Polska), the maker of Poland’s own official currency.
At first glance, it's not just a coin levitating thanks to a magnetic field. According to Mint of Poland, this coin is set in motion by a motor hidden inside. A magnetic field generated between the motor and the specially designed base below then causes it to float in the air.
Named UFO MP-1766 due to its resemblance to a science fiction spaceship and in reference to the year the Mint was founded, the coin also glows in the dark thanks to the use of fluorescent paint.
The prototype coin was revealed at the technical forum during the World Coin Fair in Berlin in February 2024. However, it will only be introduced to the market in the spring and will be officially sent to the next lucky collector in June.
“We cannot simply create a coin that enters official circulation, because only central banks have the right to issue currency,” Łukasz Karda, director of the technical and production planning department, told the daily of the Monetary Currency, in the daily Gazeta Wyborcza.
“There is therefore an economic model consisting of entering into contact with somewhat exotic foreign banks, in this case the Bank of Cameroon,” he added. “At first it seemed like a good joke, but as the days went by it became clear that we were up to it.
We found the right technology and it worked. The work went well, development was rapid. Holding a piece of plastic in the air is a known technology, but holding a circular coin weighing more than 7 oz in the air is a feat.
Thanks. Already order one