FERDINANDEA: This submerged volcanic island — it is basically the truncated cone/tip of an underwater volcano — lies in an area known as the Campi Flegrei del Mar di Sicilia (Phlegraean Fields of the Sea of Sicily), which is located between Sicily and Tunisia in the sparkling waters of the Mediterranean. Volcanic activity at Ferdinandea was first reported in the region during the First Punic War (264-241 B.C.), and the island has appeared and disappeared four or five times, during which eruptions raised it above sea level before erosion eventually caused it to submerge again. Since the 17th century several eruptions have been reported. Ferdinandea, sometimes referred to as “L'isola che non c'è più” (“The island that is no more”), is currently a seamount — dozens of which dot the floor of the Mediterranean.
FLANDERS: Geographically, this “community of the Flemings” is an area in western Europe which has changed a great deal over the centuries. In the Middle Ages, the former County of Flanders contained: the area that is approximately the West-Vlaanderen and Oost-Vlaanderen provinces of Belgium; a part of what is now the département of Nord, in north-eastern France (sometimes called French Flanders); and a part of what is now the Zeeland province in south-western Netherlands called “Zeeuws-Vlaanderen” (or “Sealandic Flanders”). The name Flanders now designates all the Dutch-speaking areas of Belgium, which is divided amongst 5 of its provinces (West Flanders, East Flanders, Flemish Brabant, Antwerp, Limburg). In that country, the Flemish people are fiercely nationalistic in their political/sociological struggles regarding emancipation; they have their own parliament, government, and administration/institutions, all based in Brussels. They've demonstrated a longstanding desire for greater autonomy as an independent republic. The Flemish separatist movement is composed of militant and moderate wings, all of which share a desire to protect their language (Vlaams) and culture against a French-speaking ruling minority/elite.
FREE STATE OF FLASCHENHALS: Following the Armistice of 1918, which marked the end of World War I on the Western Front, Allied forces occupied the German territory west of the Rhine. To maintain a military presence on the eastern side, the Allied powers extended their sphere of occupation by creating three semi-circular bridgeheads — radiating from Cologne (British zone), Koblenz (American zone), and Mainz (French zone) — each one with a radius of 30 kilometers. Due to an error in measurement, the French and American zones did not meet (they almost touched at Laufenselden). And because the two circles did not overlap, there was a free space between the two sectors which remained unoccupied. This resulting gap on the eastern side of the Rhine contained the Wisper valley, the towns of Lorch and Kaub, and villages/townships of Lorchhausen, Sauerthal, Ransel, Wollmerschied, Welterod, Zorn, Strüth and Egenrod. Surrounded by the two Allied toeholds, the Taunus range to the north-east, and the Rhine to the south-west, this tiny tract was effectively cut off from all of Germany and subsequently separated from the administration of the Weimar Republic. Owing to the curvilinear nature of the Allied bridgeheads, this enclosed territory took on the shape of a bottleneck (a flaschenhals), hence the name that was given to the microstate, when it was declared on January 10, 1919.
FOUNDATION FOR COSMONOETIC INVESTIGATIONS: This organization is headed by Mr. Kiril Georgiev Kanev (he is also the founder of The Specialized Information Agency “UFO News” — http://www.ufonews.in/index.html — and creator of BUFON, the Bulgarian UFO Network). FOCONI was founded in 1991 and is based in Sofia, Bulgaria. It is of astronomical numismatic interest that Mr. Kanev has devised a monetary unit called the Galactos, which he proposes be used in financial transactions between Earthlings and extraterrestrial visitors. He believes that it is the first “spatial” monetary unit to be created on our planet. Because of this unique development, every sentient creature in the universe should be relieved to know that trade between earthlings and ETs has now been made possible. The cosmic currency was unveiled at a UFO convention/conference in Sofia. Speaking on behalf of his Foundation, he stated that “We are offering the galactos as a means of payment between planets. It will represent the Earth in financial relations in the Cosmos.” As “the official currency in space”, the Galactos is destined to facilitate/foster the commercial contacts between earth-dwellers and inhabitants of other worlds.
FREDERIKSSUND (MØNTKLUBBEN): The provincial municipality (kommune) of Frederikssund stands on the shores of Roskilde Fjord in Frederiksborg County, in the northern part of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The site of its municipal council is the town of Frederikssund, a typically Danish market town with a flourishing commercial and cultural scene. The Møntklubben (Coin Club) of Frederikssund was founded on October 22, 1976 by a group of Frederikssund citizens. According to their official Web-site (http://www.moenten-frederikssund.dk/), the club holds evening meetings twice a month in the winter season. It publishes a “coin-leaf” containing information about the club’s activities, lectures, and additional numismatic information. They also hold auctions of its members’ coins as a “communication-sale”. The Møntklubben has produced 10 medallic pieces in silver and bronze from 1976 to 1986 (with the exception of ‘85). “The medals are copied after the Kiknesfundet, and statues in Frederikssund as well as the club's emblem.” According to a fellow coin-collector from Denmark, Mr. Stig Erenbjerg, “Kiknes is an area, a small town. Fundet means ‘the finding’. So it is the finding in Kiknes. Someone has found coins in Kiknes and there after it has been called the ‘Kiknes-finding’.” This applies specifically to the pieces from 1979-83, and based on the brief text which accompanies their images, each design is a “Copy of a Bractate from the Kignæs find”. Mr. Chaim Dov Shiboleth clarifies the “Kiknes-finding” matter a bit further: “Bractates (brachate, bracteaat, bracteate) are Nordic coin/amulets from the early middle ages (minted in Northern Europe, including Friesland and Denmark), which would make sense, as the obverses really look Nordic.” Moreover, he reminded me that “An archeological site is usually called a FIND”. I acquired the Møntklubben’s uniface 1977 copper token, which features a Viking ship, from Mr. Shiboleth in a trade for one of my 2007 Zilchstadt medallions. “I'm not sure if they even should be considered coins, I don't know if they were ever used in any way, but artistically they're interesting and remind me of some of the Christiania coins”. Only the pieces from ‘76 and ‘77 are uniface, “the others all have the 1976 obverse (including the 1976 date) as their reverse”. From the Møntklubben’s Mr. Villy Christensen, I later obtained the coins dated 1979, 1982, 1983, 1986. The latter piece features the “Ravne” (Ravens) — this pair of sculptures, each bird nearly 5 meters tall, stands outside the J.F. Willumsen Museum in Frederikssund. I asked Mr. Christensen why the Coin Club ceased producing coins: “The club stop making coins because it was not possible to sell that many of them, and it was difficult to get some new motives [motifs].”
When Ferdinandea last sprouted from the water about 41-50 km (26-31 nautical miles) south-west of the Sicilian seaport of Sciacca in July of 1831 (after an earthquake on the Sicilian coast and much spitting of fire and stones from below the sea), its appearance was as much a political event as a geological one. Observers at the time wondered if a chain of mountains would spring up, linking Sicily to Tunisia and thus upsetting the geopolitics of the region. A four-way dispute over its sovereignty ensued. Captain Humphrey Fleming Senhouse led a British naval party to the summit. After disembarking, he proclaimed the landmass a part of the British Empire by planting a flag on the black lump. He named the fickle seamount Graham Island, after the first lord of the admiralty, Sir James Robert George Graham. An island at this strategic point in the Mediterranean — closer to the southern coast of France and Spain than Malta (a British asset) — was of obvious interest to the world's greatest naval power. But the government of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies became furious at losing a potentially vital base. The King of Naples, Ferdinand II, dispatched the corvette Etna to replace the Union Jack and claim the nascent island for the Bourbon crown. On August 17th, his men christened it as Ferdinandea, in honor of Ferdinand II. Last on the scene was Constant Prévost, a co-founder of the French Geological Society, who arrived with the French Navy. The geologist compared the eruption to a bottle of champagne being uncorked. Hoisting the flag of France on the tallest part of the island, he called the smoking, foul-smelling cone Île Julia, for its July appearance. Spain also showed an interest and declared its territorial ambitions. With four claimants, a diplomatic spat broke out. The scene was set for a four-way war which was only averted when the fully-grown island decided to resolve the issue on its own volition. The volcano bubbled and spat for six months. It is said that the aquatic rock stood at 65-70 meters (213-229 feet) above sea level. Different sources cite various measurements: it measured 700 meters in diameter and/or it had a circumference of about 5 km (3 miles). However, it was composed of loose tephra, which was easily eroded by wave action. Therefore, before a single shot could be fired over its possession, geology rapidly had the last word on the matter. Ferdinandea crumbled in on itself and all but disappeared by the end of the year. By January 1832 it had sunk completely, vanishing beneath the waves before the issue of its ownership could be resolved diplomatically. Afterwards, there was less than a meter of water over the spot. British surveys reported this had increased to 5.5 meters in 1870 and 7.3 meters in 1885, while Italian surveys in 1890 and 1925 showed no appreciable changes. Since then, the remains of Graham Island have been referred to as the Graham Bank (or the Graham Shoal), but Italians still call it Ferdinandea.
During its existence, the unique natural phenomenon was studied and written about by numerous scientists. Many other visitors also came to witness the maritime anomaly — the most famous being the novelist Sir Walter Scott, during an attempt to recoup his failing health by a trip to Malta (he died in 1832). Fresh eruptions in 1863 resulted in the brief emergence of a new islet at the auspicious location before it sank again, devoured by the insatiable ocean. Subsequently, the volcano lay dormant for many decades, with its summit just 8 meters below sea level. In 1986, it was allegedly mistaken for a Libyan submarine and bombed by a U.S. Air Force plane on its way to bomb Tripoli. The insular cause was again taken up by the Italians, after signs of volcanic activity in February 2000 prompted a newspaper article on the topic. In March 2001, Domenico Macaluso, a surgeon in the coastal town of Sciacca, organized a project to place a marble plaque on the underwater shoal re-claiming Ferdinandea for the Sicilian people. To bolster their case for ownership, Sicilians (fishermen and sailors, as well as Ignazio Cucchiara, the mayor of Sciacca), persuaded Ferdinand's descendant, who styles himself Prince Carlos of Calabria, to sponsor a permanent nameplate. In a ceremony filmed by a flotilla of camera crews, Prince Carlo di Bourbon (accompanied by his wife, Countess Camilla Cruciani), a marble plaque weighing 150kg and inscribed “This piece of land, once Ferdinandea, belonged and shall always belong to the Sicilian people” was lowered into the waves. The Prince told cheering locals: “It will always be Sicilian.” (in order to accommodate television crews, the plaque was lowered well before reaching the dangerous shoal). But within six months it had been broken into 12 pieces, possibly by fishing gear though vandalism cannot be ruled out. The possible culprit remains a mystery. In November of 2002, Ferdinandea made headlines once again. Renewed seismic activity around the coveted rock led volcanologists to speculate that a new eruptive episode could be imminent. The seamount, in what would’ve been a very beautiful and fascinating event, might become an island once more. In advance of its expected resurfacing, Sicilian divers acted swiftly and planted a flag (it features a Medusa's head surrounded by three naked legs — a sign that is traditionally interpreted as “keep away”) on the top of the bubbling underwater rock so as to thwart any claims of British sovereignty (and to forestall arguments from any other potential rivals) if and when it breaks the surface. However, the furious seismic rumblings did not lead to volcanic eruptions. Ferdinandea did not make a spectacular comeback. Pierluigi Maria Rossi, a professor of volcanology at the University of Bologna, says the sunken island is just, in a sense, letting off steam. “It's a very young volcano,” he notes, “and with all young volcanoes there's going to be gas released.” Such emissions are quite normal. Enzo Boschi, director of the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology in Rome, agrees: “There are bubbles and waves,” he reports, “but that doesn't mean the island is about to be reborn. It just means the zone is active.” He has been monitoring the situation, and although he could not rule out an appearance of the volcano above the water surface, he said he did not expect one any time soon. This goes to show that the geologically active Mediterranean seabed — a precarious location where the earth's Eurasian and African tectonic plates come together — maintains a powerful grip on the imagination. The possible re-emergence of Ferdinandea is merely one of the more fascinating scenarios surrounding seamounts. Theoretically, at least, it could be reborn as an above-surface island (formed when lava pushes out over the top of the volcano and solidifies in the cold water, increasing the height of the mount) and Ferdinandea’s “eruptive surfacings” could continue indefinitely. “Geologically speaking, it's a possibility,” acknowledges Boris Behncke, a German researcher at the University of Catania's department of geological sciences in Sicily. “But geology has a very long time scale…We really should not be too worried.”
Today, Ferdinandea remains outside Italy's territorial waters. The huge underwater volcanic structure, shaped like a horseshoe and with a peak more than 500 meters high (taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris), is 30 kilometers (about 19 miles) off the southern coast of Sicily. Its summit remains only about 6-8 meters (19-26 feet) below the water’s surface. As such, it is considered a menace to navigation and to shipping. The olden dispute over Ferdinandea has now been overshadowed by the discovery that the former island is just one outcrop of a far grander volcano, the largest seamount (underwater mountain) off the Italian coast, and one that is still active, though for now emitting only gas (the find was the result of investigations into Ferdinandea). Professor Giovanni Lanzafame, of Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology, named the volcano Empedocles, after the pre-Socratic Greek philosopher who lived in Sicily and plunged headfirst into the crater of Mount Etna (Europe’s largest active volcano, which lies 100 kilometers to its north and is still highly active today) in the interests of scientific research. Empedocles hypothesized that all matter consisted of four elements — earth, air, fire and water. Because Empedocles (the volcano) is dormant, scientists believe there is no imminent risk of eruption, nor of the appearance of new islands.
While the reappearance of Ferdinandea may not spark the same diplomatic wrangling as it did over 175 years ago, there could well be a new debate. Should it re-ascend, Federico Eichberg, an international relations expert based in Rome, believes it would do so within Italian territorial waters — and in all probability would be formally claimed by Italy. Eichberg does not expect that a renewed international rumpus would arise, noting: “If it's just a little island, we're not going to have a big fight over it.” In all actuality, the island would not have the same strategic importance today that it had in the summer of 1831. A diplomatic disagreement would be highly improbable, and the island would likely belong to Italy. A spokeswoman for Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office, however, kept all options open. The British government “would look at this if and when any island were to emerge,” she said, adding: “We don't want to make waves now.” In the words of Enzo Boschi, director of the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology in Rome: “I'm sure the European Union will want it as a member, won't they?”
From Mr. Oded Paz, I purchased the copper version of the Ferdinandea “One Penny”, dated 2000. Thanks to Mr. Paz, I was able to learn that the designer of this coin is someone named Mr. David Mannucci. The idea to make this coin occurred to Mr. Mannucci after he “found out the existence of the ghost island” from a newspaper article. A student at the time, “I have realized the coins for the school exam in the school Istituto D’Arte Statale di Porta Romana of Firenze. These coins have been coined in the Picchiani and Barlacchi Company from Firenze.” The first batch was minted in 2000. Mr. Paz learned about these coins (and acquired a couple of specimens) a few years later, when he was contacted by Mr. Mannucci. Mr. Paz wanted to acquire additional pieces for other members of the Unrecognised States Numismatic Society (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UnrecognisedStatesNumismaticSociety/ and http://www.usns.info/), but there were none left. Then, at the urging of Mr. Paz, Mr. Mannucci decided to do a special minting of these coins, using the original dies. Besides the copper piece, varieties exist in silver, copper “with protective enamel”, and silver “with protective enamel”. I initially found it rather odd that while this Italian-made coin fittingly bears the Italian name for the island, the conflicted piece also features a bust of “Elizabeth II D.G.R.” and bears a British denomination. As a result of this numismatic ambivalence, it could be said that the coin has a “dual nationality” of sorts.
Images of the Ferdinandea coin can be viewed at the site of Mr. Chaim Dov Shiboleth's private collection (http://www.taedivm.org/coin-ferdinandea.html) and at the site of Mr. Haseeb Naz’s private collection (http://chiefacoins.com/Database/Micro-Nations/Ferdinandea.htm).
Coins (a total of almost half a million!) were issued for Vlaanderen from 1985-87. According to Mr. Ghislain Henderickx, whom I contacted by e-mail, “The coins ‘Vlaamse Franken’ were made and distributed by the Flemish-National ‘vzw Priester Daens’, a social-cultural organisation, that was and still is settled in Lede and of which I was (am) a committee member.” Albert Van Hove, “the treasurer of our organisation, elaborated the idea and graphic artists realised the draft.” This organization (“legalized” on May 7, 1981; they existed, “un-legalized”, for some 2 years prior to this), states Mr. Henderickx, who is their Secretary, “indeed was/is inherent of indepency/autonomy. With these coins we tried to prove that Flanders could be financially independent. The coins were distributed by us and we payed with in stores and cafés and they were distributed to kindred organisations all over Flanders by the postage services of the Ledean Agency of the BAC-Bank. But after the French-speaking TV-channel RTL Belgium broadcasted in French speaking Belgium a documentary on the success of the coins and the system of distribution, the Minister of Finances at that time, who was a French-speaking politician, forbade the coins. And that was the end of an utmost successful and much-discussed and controversial adventure.”
From Mr. Steven Vergauwen, Director of Vlaamse Volksbeweging vzw (VVB, Flemish People's Movement, founded 1956), I obtained a copy of a leaflet entitled With Vlaamse Franken You're O.K., which specifically deals with the coins. According to this article of propaganda, it seems that the Franks were actually made to be used (but not exclusively) during the yearly IJzerbedevaart (Yser pilgrimage), which takes place in Diksmuide. They were available to supporters via the event's promotions booth, the secretariat of both the IJzerbedevaart and “vzw Priester Daens”, and the BAC offices (where they could also be exchanged/redeemed, after being used in the town's businesses, shops, bars, etc...). This advertisement, which gives June 28, 1987 (Sunday) as the date for that year's upcoming rendezvous, also calls for associations/clubs to use the Vlaamse Franken at other activities, balls, exhibitions, celebrations, and assemblies so that they'd be more widely accepted. To clarify, the Yser pilgrimage started in 1920 as a grass-roots gathering for the sake of remembering the Flemish soldiers who suffered and fell in WWI; it also acts as a general call for peace and tolerance. The focal point of this ritual is the monument of the IJzertoren (Yser tower). Nowadays, heavily influenced by the volatile Vlaams Blok, they've increasingly become a magnet for thousands of nationalists from all over in Europe (many of them quite xenophobic), who flock to Flanders during the “Iron pilgrimage” for an annual show of strength. Henderickx himself is one of the key figures in the IJzerwake (Wake of the Yser), an even more radical right-wing grouping which splintered off from the IJzerbedevaart, seeking to reform it so that it may serve a more extremist purpose.
From Joris Nachtergaele, Assistant of Mrs. Frieda Brepoels (Flemish Member of the European Parliament), I received some additional information about the Flemish Franks. According to the document he sent me, the initiative to mint these tokens was taken by the Federatie van Vlaamse Kringen (FVK, Federation of Flemish Circles/Groups), especially Mr. Van Hove, treasurer of the East Flanders chapter of this institution. The purpose of these coins would be to highlight their rich heritage by focusing on a different example of Flemish architecture/artwork each year. Besides promoting greater national consciousness, the coins were to themselves become works of art, with a special numismatic value for collectors.
I obtained a 1985 50 Vlaamse Franken from Mr. Marcel Kelfkens. The reverse of this coin depicts 3 towers (the belfry of Ghent, the cathedral of Antwerp, the belfry of Bruges). This was the sole denomination issued that year, and the coin only had a regional distribution, particularly in Lede. In 1986, two denominations were issued, the 25 and 50 Vlaamse Franken (I obtained a sample of the latter from Mr. Peter Geelen). These had a distribution in all of Flanders, but were first launched on a large scale at the “Iron pilgrimage”, on June 29th of that year. They were accepted by the local banks, organizations, shopkeepers, and the IJzerbedevaart Committee. The 3 towers featured on these coins are the belfry of Diksmuide, the Basilica of Tongeren, and the belfry of Aalst. In 1987, the 50 and 100 Vlaamse Franken were issued. Only the identity of the middle tower is known for sure: the Cathedral of Mechelen (St. Rombout); one of the remaining two could be the church of Hamme. Also from '87, it was thought that there may have been an uncatalogued 25 Vlaamse Franken pattern in existence, but according to Mr. Jan Van Limbergen of “vzw Priester Daens”, this is truly not the case. More recently, a 250 Vlaamse Franken dated 1990 has been brought to my attention.
Thanks to Mr. Chaim Dov Shiboleth, I learned of a related item, struck for “Zelfstandig Vlaanderen” (Self-standing Flanders). Being from 15-10-81, this companion-piece pre-dates the previously mentioned Vlaanderen coins. Quite pertinently, the denomination on this token, which I obtained from Mr. Geelen in exchange for one of my 2006 Héliopolis medallions, is “100 Taxandria”. The historically significant name refers to a rather dry, infertile plateau region of sandy soil and gravel (with pine woods interspersed among meadows of thin grass and heather) in northern Belgium (Antwerpen, Limburg, Vlaams-Brabant provinces) and southern Netherlands (Noord-Brabant). The area, generally called Taxandria by the Romans (nowadays referred to as Kempenland and La Campine), was settled (circa 358) by the Salian Franks, a Germanic tribe that had become allies of the emperor Flavius Claudius Julianus. From then onwards, the so-called Frankish colonization started. Collectively, their settlements are considered to be the cradle of the Flemish people: from an ethnic standpoint, those Franks are the ancestors of the Flemings; from a linguistic point of view, the most direct descendants of the Franks are the Flemish-speakers and the Dutch.
Images of the coinage of Vlaanderen can be viewed at the site of Mr. Geelen’s private collection:
http://www.jezuss.nl/vlaanderen.htm
The region contained approximately 8,000 people and its largest town, Lorch, was established as its capital. Its mayor, E. Pnischeck, was subsequently elected as president of this small territory. Pnischeck headed the administration of Flaschenhals for the duration of its existence, which even oversaw the production of its own stamps and currency. According to the official Web-site of the historic Freistaat (http://www.freistaat-flaschenhals.de/eng/index.htm), these collectibles are “a rarity today and very popular for collectors and fans of the Freestate.” There were no roads connecting Flaschenhals to the rest of unoccupied Germany. Transportation by air or river was impossible. Furthermore, “The traintraffic completly succumbed, no train was allowed to stop in the freestate. Exept for one praiseworthy time: A freight train transporting coals the French had been looting in the Rhur area was put down at the trainstation in Rüdesheim. This freight train was capured by a stout-hearted engine driver and leaded to the freestate Bottleneck, where the very welcomed and needed heating material was shared between the citizens.” The movement of goods and mail to and from the Freistaat was only made possible by well-organized smugglers using secret trails through the woods. “Among others more than 38000 liters of the vintage 1921 produced by the Prussian Academy and Research Insitute of Geisenheim were brought to Kaub with horse-barrows and storaged in winecellar of Peter Bahles. The storage in the cellares of Kaub and Lorch supported the vinifaction of the wine in such a great way, that even today these vintages obtain best prices at auctions.” Even though the left side of the Rhine was heavily policed by the French (using powerful searchlights), the night-time smuggling prospered. The state issued its own passports to its citizens, and had plans to establish an embassy in Berlin. Furthermore, it was intended to establish diplomatic relations with other countries, but the state ceased to exist before these plans were realized. After four years of existence, the Freistaat Flaschenhals was abolished on February 25, 1923 following the French Occupation of the Ruhr. Flaschenhals was eventually reincorporated with the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau. The territory that formerly comprised the short-lived quasi-state is now part of the modern German states of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate. The area, now a tourist attraction (particularly the Freistaat 's major towns of Lorch and Kaub), is also a part of the Rhine Gorge UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Free State, the Freistaat Flaschenhals Initiative (FFI) was started in 1994 by the area’s winegrowers and gourmets/gastronomists. As members of the FFI, they committed themselves to produce wines which surpass government standards and to offer meals that reflect the unique cuisine of the romantic central Rhineland region. The goal of the FFI is to promote the rich culture/history of that impressive landscape and to increase tourism to its many lovely attractions. The FFI has also printed a passport (reisepass) which entitles the bearer to receive special deals and discounts from area wineries/hotels/restaurants (Zum Turm Hotel & Restaurant, Deutsches Haus Hotel, Gasthaus Zur Pfalz, Gasthaus Kammerburg, and about 10 local wineries/vineyards/estates). Furthermore, the FFI has issued an undated commemorative 10 Taler medallion. As a spendable item, the coin was valid from January 10, 1999 to February 25, 2003. This corresponds to the life-span of the Freistaat, as well as to the amount of time during which its original money circulated. Not only is the coin a collectible, but folks in the region could use it as a gutschein (coupon/voucher) — worth 30 Deutsche Marks and later 15 Euros — in local wineries and restaurants (for special bottles of wine and specialty dishes). Though the coin is still available at the previously mentioned Web-site, I obtained mine from Mr. Oded Paz.
Images of the Flaschenhals coin can be viewed at the site of Mr. Chaim Dov Shiboleth's private collection (http://www.taedivm.org/coin-flaschenhals.html) and at the site of Mr. Peter Geelen’s private collection (http://www.jezuss.nl/flaschenhals.htm).
The Galactos doesn’t exactly look like your ordinary coin. The “monnaie cosmique” weighs three grams, and is made from a gold-plated alloy of chrome and nickel. One of the unique aspects pertaining to this coin is that it is not made from engraved dies; the word “Galactos” and the year “2004” appear on the thin flan/planchet in the form of see-through, perfectly laser-cut letters. An image of the coin can be seen at http://axxon.com.ar/not/139/c-1390066.htm.
Mr. Kanev submitted his official currency proposal, along with specimens of the Galactos, to dignitaries like Simeon Saxe Cobourg-Gotha, the Bulgarian Prime Minister; Georgi Parvanov, the President of the nation; Ivan Iskrov, the Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank; and Milen Velchev, former Minister of Finance. “Extra-terrestrials come into contact with insignificant, ordinary people. We're not talking about government-level relations,” Kanev said. Nevertheless, it will be necessary to have high-level contacts in order to launch the Galactos, after peace is established amongst the peoples of Earth. That’s why he sent his coin to those influential and powerful gentlemen. Kanev and others believe that the extraterrestrials are just waiting for the world to put an end to its internal disputes before opening trade negotiations. “Just imagine you're an extraterrestrial civilization and you want to contact a country on earth,” said Kanev. “That would be unimaginable, because all countries have opposing interests, and there are so many conflicts. The Galactos should give them a common currency to trade in.” Its inventor affirms that the Galactos, as the only universally accepted medium of exchange known on Earth, “will be one of the first things that will contribute order to our relations with the extraterrestrials”. Unfortunately, he is not able to determine the exchange rate of his intergalactic currency with respect to the euro, nor to the dollar, and he suggests that “the intergalactic experts be consulted” in the matter. Symbolically, the Galactos will be identified by the letter G with two parallel lines like the U.S. dollar sign ($). Kanev recognizes that at the moment the idea is nothing more than a private joke, but comments that it will one day become a reality, “when the inhabitants of other planets make contact with us”. For the moment only 50 units of the Galactos have been coined, many of which have already circulated amongst ground-based ET watchers.
I obtained one of the 7 remaining samples (“I would like to save 2 coins for me personally”) directly from Mr. Kanev, after making a modest financial contribution to his UFO-related investigations. To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised by this coin. I was expecting a wafer-thin piece of metal, but the piece is definitely thicker than I thought it would be. And it's impressive how the laser did a series of surprisingly crisp, ultra-precise (sometimes super-thin) cuttings straight through the metal as if it were butter. The coin was accompanied by a laminated “simple certificate of the origin” printed in Bulgarian Cyrillic by the Foundation for Cosmonoetic Investigations. Mr. Kanev also informed me that he wants to issue an even more attractive, machine-struck (milled) Galactos. Unfortunately, this might take a while because he is in need of investors to fund his project. But if all goes well, he intends to contract the prestigious Bulgarian Mint, which is owned by The Bulgarian National Bank. “They do their job very good and I will have the possibility to control the entire process. Also, I would like to make the design of the future coin myself and my hands. There is a good friend of mine, he is a painter, he will help me.”Return to the Main Index