Centuries' Old UFO Coin Remains Mystery

PRWEB ^ | January 28, 2005 | Donn Pearlman

[MississippiMasterpiece]

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."

[Blennos]

You are probably correct-- that the front scene is a common motif. The other coin with the inscription "camera computorum neustriae" (which means "accounting room of Normandy") shows a money-handler depositing his coins at the feet of Justice. If the accountants did not worship Justice, then accounts might easily get out of balance.

Let me know if you find out anything about either of these coins.

[ChefKeith]

Well that might explain the "anal probe" stories from abductees...

Ping

[Jackknife]

A coke inspired song if there ever was one.

Sounds more like LSD to me.

[Aquinasfan]

They can be defeatd if we can somehow get a computer virus into their system.

[js1138]

Definitely a male UFO.

[js1138]

A Jewish one, at that.

[Axenolith]

It's a commemorative by a secret sect that passes down the memory of the seeding of this world with life by the Penisosians...

[Axenolith]

NOT!

[Jackknife]

[Political Junkie Too]

It looks like a shield with a spike in the center, like this Scottish Targe.

-PJ

[RightWingAtheist]

A sundial is the first thing I thought of as well.

Regardless of what it is, it is definitely not an extraterrestial spacecraft.

[Bars4Bill]

Here's another shield spike.

[Political Junkie Too]

If it is a sundial, it must be very artistic since none of the markings indicate common time intervals.

-PJ

[chaosagent]

Here is a website that illustrates that UFO's seem to be very common in old paintings and tapestries.

Check it out.

http://xfacts.com/old/

[proust]

obviously someone told a Frenchman to "Go take a flying f--- at the moon," and he did and they made a coin to commemerate it.

[Osage Orange]

A sundial.

Yeah, that's the first thing that came to my mind also.

[aculeus]

Looney thread ping.

[xm177e2]

It's a sundial.

Could it be a joke, putting a sundial in the position of the sun?

[general_re]

Anne of Cleves?

Anne of Cleves was Henry VIII's fourth wife. Louis XIV's wife was Maria Theresa, who was indeed Austrian ;)

[general_re]

Shhh, you'll scare them away...