Posted on 01/29/2005 5:10:32 AM PST by 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."
It shows that the French were pollinated by aliens and sprung up as a bunch of pansies.
Well, DUH! It's french...
I see a phallic symbol, not a UFO. A stylized representation of fertility. The flower is a female symbol of course, combined with the male symbol...you turn the coin over, you see rain from those same clouds. Both sides represent fertility coming from the heavens to the earth.
I've taken a vow not to make fun of hobbies anymore. People are passionate about their hobbies.
You will pry my 1948, 2-cent proof stamp from my cold dead tweezers....
You're not the only one with a dirty mind.
Ping?
I see Red X's....
Probably because they were posted last January.
It probably means the sun and the rain make things grow, maybe it means there was a drought and it rained just in time to save their crops. I don't think it has anything to do with UFO's.
Hey, nice ping graphic. I do wonder who provides your bandwidth, between this one and the much more common Space Ping image... ;')
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