"The First 15,000 Are Radioactive"?

I can pretty much guarantee that nothing sold to the public (without strict controls)--a painted coin or otherwise--emits gamma rays. Smoke detectors don't even emit beta radiation.

It is possible a Tritium based paint was used. I have never seen a photo luminescent paint that was see through. Generally a photo luminescent paint is white or greenish in color. Tritium particles could have been mixed into the paint on the dino coin to create the glow in the dark effect. A coin painted with Tritium would meet the exposure limit for exposure absorption.

Tritium is not banned for sale in North America and can be found in products we can buy everyday.

Self-powered lighting
Watch with tritium-illuminated face

The emitted electrons from the radioactive decay of small amounts of tritium cause phosphors to glow so as to make self-powered lighting devices called betalights, which are now used in firearm night sights, watches (see Luminox for example), exit signs, map lights, and a variety of other devices. This takes the place of radium, which can cause bone cancer and has been banned in most countries for decades. Commercial demand for tritium is 400 grams per year and the cost is approximately US $30,000 per gram

More info on Tritium:

http://community.seattletimes.nwsou...slug=1481417

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCoXwFv-xOU

The coins don't glow constantly. Like standard glow-in-the-dark they are energized by a light source, and the glow decays over a period of time.

Out of the box, at delivery, they are dark. And will go dark again if kept out of the light.