2739) Pingualuit Crater Lake, Nunavik ("Crystal Eye of Nunavik"), Canada: The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) has issued a $50 (Fifty Dollars - CAN) Silver Proof Coin with Black Light Effect: Date/Year of Coin issue: 2023: Shipping: 17.03.2023 onwards:
The Header/Banner gives a legend together with the Reverse of the $50 (Fifty Dollars - CAN) Silver Coin
The Pingualuit Crater Lake:
In the heart of the lunar-esque landscape of the Ungava Peninsula, in Nunavik, Quebec, lies a breathtaking lake with pure blue waters that stand out in any aerial view.
The Pingualuit Crater (formerly called the "Chubb Crater" and later the "New Quebec Crater") is an impact crater located on the Ungava Peninsula in the administrative region of Nord-du-Québec, in Quebec, Canada.
Meteorites often strike at an angle, but the one that created Pingualuit Crater Lake came down almost vertically, resulting in the near-perfect circle imprinted on the earth’s surface.
One of the world's deepest crater lakes, Pingualuit Crater Lake is stunning and truly unique because of its perfect circular shape, its deep blue colour, and its steep crater rim that stands out significantly over the flat tundra landscape.
A geological marvel, Pingualuit Crater Lake was created when a meteorite struck the Earth approximately 1.4 million years ago (Pleistocene Age).
The impact created a ring that measures 3.44 kilometres (2.14 miles) in diameter, and when the ice sheet receded during the last ice age, water filled the crater to form a lake that is 267 metres deep. The crater is exposed to the surface, rising 160 metres (520 ft) above the surrounding tundra, and is 400 metres (1,300 ft) deep.
The Pingualuk Lake fills the hollow and it is one of the deepest lakes in North America. The lake has no inlets or apparent outlets, so the water accumulates solely from rain and snow and is lost only through evaporation.
The lake also holds some of the purest fresh water in the world.
It is one of the most transparent lakes in the world, with a Secchi disk visible more than 35 metres (115 ft) deep.
Because there are no inflows or outlets, the lake holds some of the clearest freshwater on Earth. It is also home to a single species of fish, the "Arctic char"… though no one knows how the fish got there.
The crater and the surrounding area are now part of Pingualuit National Park.
Metallic Composition:
An analysis of the rocks also revealed planar deformation features as well as the composition of the meteorite itself - Enrichments of iron, nickel, cobalt, and chromium found in impact melt samples suggest that the meteorite was chondritic in nature.
Thanks to the crater’s deep (400 metres) shape, sediment deposits at the bottom of Pingualuit Crater Lake escaped glacial erosion and are remarkably well preserved.
These sediments have yielded information about climate change, and they provide a long-term record of environmental history dating back to (at least) the last two glacial periods.
In retrospect:
Pingualuit Crater Lake has caught the attention and imagination of scientists because the lake’s origins are extraterrestrial, and because its waters are among the purest in the world.
Fed only by rain, the lake basically emulates a huge rainwater collector in the middle of the barren tundra.
The lake with its deep waters and sediments still holds a wealth of stories about its formation.
Deciphering the 1.4-million-year history of natural climate variability from the Pingualuit Crater Lake "sediment archives" can reveal important clues about climate change and how ecosystems adapted over many glacial-interglacial age cycles—in essence, Pingualuit Crater Lake is a precious scientific time capsule.
Discovery:
Pingualuit Crater Lake was the first meteorite crater to be recognised in Canada.
Local Nunavimmiut have long known about its existence, and it is regarded as a sacred site of healing.
Outside of the Pingualuit region, the crater lake was a well-kept secret until 1943, when an American aircrew spotted it.
Its unusual shape and vivid colour made it a useful navigational aid for pilots, and because of its remote location, geological expeditions to the crater did not begin until the 1950s.
The Coin:
On the Reverse of the $50 (Fifty Dollars - CAN) Silver Proof Coin are featured two scenes -
- a colourful space view of Pingualuit Crater Lake on the Ungava Peninsula in Nunavik Quebec
- The second image only reveals itself under a black light, which takes one back in time for a view of the meteorite on its collision course with pre-historic Canada and above the eventual impact site.
Above the blue circular lake and its (engraved) surroundings, the detailed depiction of the Moon, the shooting stars and the Milky Way inspire awe for the wonders of the cosmos, and a deeper understanding of both the splendour and vulnerability of Earth.
Under normal light, one can see the Crystal Eye of Nunavik peering out into space, while under a black light, one can see the land-altering meteorite, moments before it hit, leaving an almost perfectly circular impact scar.
The Obverse of the $50 (Fifty Dollars - CAN) Silver Proof Coin depicts a right facing effigy of Late Queen Elizabeth II.
The peripheral inscriptions read - "ELIZABETH II. 2023. D.G. REGINA. 50 DOLLARS." The years of her reign are given at the left of her effigy -"1952-2022".
The specifications of this Silver coin are:
Country of issue: Canada; Year: 2023; Coin Theme: "Pingualuit Crater Lake on the Ungava Peninsula in Nunavik Quebec."; Metal Composition: .9999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 157.6 grams or 5.065 Oz; Diameter/Size: 65.25 mm; Coin Quality: Proof (P), with black light paint technology; Mint: Royal Canadian Mint (RCM); Mintage: 2,500 pieces; Edge: Serrated; Packaging: Encapsulated, Black clamshell with black beauty box; Designers: Neil Hamelin (Reverse), Susanna Blunt (Obverse); Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Yes, Serialised.
- Each coin comes with a black light flashlight. One can simply point the light at the coin for a few seconds to activate the embedded paint technology, and watch as the blue lake suddenly appears.
- Already colourful, the space setting includes a Moon view and a glimpse of the Milky Way; these elements, as well as Earth’s edge and the lake below, glow when the black light technology is activated.
Links to posts on "The Mandalorian Classic Coin Collection on this Blog:
i) The Mandalorian, Niue Island: New Zealand Mint has issued Gold and Silver Coins depicting the popular STAR WARS spin-off; ii) "Grogu" ("Baby Yoda"): Year of Coin issue: 2021
2) "Cara Dune", Niue Island: Second Coin in "The Mandalrian Classic Coin Collection": New Zealand Mint has issued a $2 (Two Dollars - NZD) Silver Coins depicting character from the STAR WARS Spin-off, on behalf of Niue Island: Year of Coin issue: 2021
3) "ASSASSIN DROID IG-11", Niue Island: Third Coin in "THe Mandalorian Classic Coin Collection": New Zealand Mint has issued a $2 (Two Dollars - NZD) Silver Coins depicting characters from the STAR WARS Spin-Off, on behalf of Niue Island: Year of Coin issue: 2021
4) "GROGU" or "The CHILD" -("BABY YODA"), Niue Island: Fourth Coin in "The Mandalorian Classic Coin Collection": New Zealand Mint has issued a $2 (Two Dollars - NZD) Silver Coins depicting characters from the STAR WARS Spin-off, on behalf of Niue Island: Year of Coin issue: 2021
5) "Grogu in his mobile Cradle/Pram" or "THE CHILD" - ("Baby Yoda"), Niue Island: Fifth Coin in "The Mandalorian Classic Coin Collection": New Zealand Mint has issued a $2 (Two Dollars - NZD) Silver Coins depicting characters from the STAR WARS Spin-off, on behalf of Niue Island: Year of Coin issue: 2022
6) Ahsoka Tano, Niue Island: The Mandalorian Classic Coin Collection: New zealand Mint has issued Gold and silver Coins depicting the popular "STAR WARS" spin -off: Year of Coin issue: 2022
7) "BESKAR STEEL", Niue Island: "The Mandalorian Classic Coin Collection": New Zealand Mint has issued a $2 (Two Dollars - NZD) Silver Rectangular Coin depicting the highly impenetrable protection material in the STAR WARS Spin-off, on behalf of Niue Island: Year of Coin issue: 2021
8) "Bo-Katan Kyrze", The Legendary Mandalorian Warrior, Niue Island: New Zealand Mint has issued $250 (Two Hundred Fifty Dollars - NZD) Gold, $25 Gold (Twenty Five Dollarrs - NZD) and $2 (Two Dollars - NZD) Silver Coins depicting the popular STAR WARS spin-off: Year of Coin issue: 2022
Links to "Star Wars: A New Hope™":
9) The Sand Crawler ("The Mandalorian" & "Star Wars: A New Hope"), Niue Island: New Zealand Mint has issued $25 (Twenty Five Dollars - NZD) Gold and $2 (Two Dollars - NZD) Silver Coins depicting the popular STAR WARS spin-off: Year of Coin issue: 2022
Links to posts on Boba Fett:
1) Boba Fett, New Zealand: An elegant Silver Miniature minted by the New Zealand Mint, features the popular Star Wars Bounty Hunter in full armour with his blaster at the ready: Date of issue: 10.12.2021
2) Boba Fett "Slave I" Starfighter, Niue Island: A One Oz Silver Coin depicts Fett's legendary spacecraft: Date of Coin issue: 10.12.2021 (with year of issue inscribed as 2022)
Other Links:
1) The "Empire's Death Star" (Star Wars), Niue Island: A Kilogram Dimensional Silver Coin of $ 100 NZD (Niue) minted by the New Zealand Mint on behalf of Niue Island:Year of Coin issue: 2021
2) "Star Trek", Starfield Command, United Federation of Planets, Tuvalu: $2 "Holey Dollar" united with a $1 "Delta" Coin-set
3) "Dune" (a Science Fiction Novel) by Frank Herbert, APMEX, USA: A set of Silver and Gold Coins/Rounds issued by APMEX celebrating the most iconic themes from the 2021 movie, based on the Novel being released in October 2021: Date/Year of Coins issued: 2021
4) "Star Trek", Canada: 50th Anniversary Celebrations (1966-2016): Canada Postes (Post Canada) has issued this lenticular set of two stamps featuring Star Trek characters from the franchise which debuted in Canada: Date/Year of Stamp set issue: 2016
Links to The Bad Batch Coin Series:
1) HUNTER - The Leader of the "BAD BATCH - STAR WARS, Niue Island: New Zealand Mint has issued Silver $2 (Two Dollars - NZD) Coins on behalf of Niue Island, depicting the "Clone Force 99" Group Leader: Year of Coin issue: 2022
2) WRECKER - The Demolition Expert of the "BAD BATCH" - STAR WARS, Niue Island: New Zealand Mint has issued Silver $2 (Two Dollars - NZD) Coins on behalf of Niue Island, depicting the "Clone Force 99": Year od Coin issue: 2022
Canada's Unexplained Phenomena Coin Series Posts on this blog:
New Generation Coin Series:
For other interesting posts on the Coins and Banknotes of Canada, please visit the following links:
Early Canadian History Coin Series:
"Tall Ships" Gold Coin Series:
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