2023 $20 Canada's Unexplained Phenomena: The Duncan Incident Fine Silver (No Tax)

Before dawn on the morning of January 1, 1970, a nurse at a hospital in Duncan, B.C., opened the curtain in a patient’s room. What she saw next is depicted on this coin’s colour-over-engraved reverse, where the UFO glows brighter when viewed under a black light (included)! The nurse described seeing a large saucer-shaped craft with a glass-like dome top. Inside the object, which was estimated to be 50 feet (15 metres) in diameter and illuminated from the bottom, two male-like figures clad in dark cloth appeared to be standing in front of a large panel. Absorbed by the sight, the nurse studied both the craft and its occupants, and soon noticed one of the figures slowly turning to face in her direction. The other figure then reached down to grab hold of a lever, and the tilted craft began to spin in a counter-clockwise direction. She called over another nurse to witness the hovering object just as it silently, and swiftly, moved away, though its lights were still visible to two more witnesses who joined them at the window. 

Nobody does it like the Royal Canadian Mint! This is the sixth coin in a popular series that brings you some of Canada’s most fascinating tales of unexplained phenomena, from strange sightings to close encounters.

The reverse design by Canadian artist Patrick Bélanger depicts the Duncan Incident that occurred before dawn on the morning of January 1, 1970. Parting the curtains, a nurse is shocked to see a big, brightly illuminated craft in the sky, where it is close enough for her to view two occupants standing inside the domed portion. The mysterious object’s colourful lights are amplified when the embedded black light paint technology is activated. The obverse features a wormhole background and the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt. The obverse also bears a special marking that includes four pearls symbolizing the four effigies that have graced Canadian coins and the double date of her reign.

Specifications:
RCM Number: 208674
Mintage: 6,500
Composition: 99.99% pure silver with colour and black light technology
Weight: 31.56 g
Diameter: 49.80 mm x 28.60 mm
Face Value: $20
Finish: Proof
Edge: Plain
Artist: Rev.: Patrick Bélanger, Obv.: Susannah Blunt

Special Features:
• Your closest view yet! The Royal Canadian Mint's sixth UFO coin is based on eyewitness accounts of the 1970 Duncan Incident, when a strange, brightly lit object and its occupants were closely observed from a hospital window.
• Black light technology. Each coin comes with a black light flashlight that activates the technology embedded on the coin’s reverse. In normal lighting conditions, the colour-over-engraved reverse presents a view of the mysterious craft, but the bright lights described by the witnesses are more realistic when the black light paint technology is activated.
• Obverse field pattern. The obverse’s wormhole-like pattern is a nod to the UFO theme.
• One of the most in-demand themes. Collectors love a good UFO story, and all precious coins in the series sold out quickly.
• Horizontal view! Like 2022’s The Yukon Encounter, this 1 oz. 99.99% pure silver coin features a rectangle shape that emphasizes the size of the craft observed in the early morning sky.
• A fun UFO collectible. If you enjoy UFO stories, this coin is for you: bold and colourful, its design is endlessly engaging. Makes a fun gift or addition to any collection!

Packaging:
The coin is encapsulated and presented in a black Royal Canadian Mint-branded clamshell with a black beauty box.