Object details
| Designer / Studio | Ruben Moutinho and the Human-Centred Design Team, Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS |
| Client | Imprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda |
| Coin artwork | José João de Brito |
| Materials | Opaque polymer body, transparent lid, integrated electronics with USB-C charging |
| Award | EPDA 2026 Top Design, Hobby & Sports / Hobbies Products: Collecting |
| Explore the design | aicos.fraunhofer.pt |
Commemorative coins usually arrive in a box that nobody looks at twice. The coin is the treasure; the packaging is something to store it in.
BrightCoin, designed by Ruben Moutinho and the Human-Centred Design Team at Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS, reverses that hierarchy. Created for the Portuguese Lighthouses commemorative series issued by Imprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda, this edition honours Cabo de São Vicente. The case received a Top Design distinction for collecting at the 2026 European Product Design Award.
The form joins two references: the circle of the coin and the tower of a lighthouse. An opaque polymer body supports a transparent lid, so the coin stays visible and protected at once.
The surprise is inside. Integrated electronics, charged by USB-C and through pogo-pin contacts, power a lighting sequence. When the lid is lifted, the case lights up, recalling the beam of the lighthouse depicted on the coin.
This makes the packaging part of the collection. Instead of disappearing into a drawer, the enclosure becomes a display piece that celebrates the coin’s subject and value each time it is opened.
BrightCoin is a small object with a precise idea: the act of revealing the coin should feel like part of its story.
View BrightCoin on the European Product Design Award winner’s page →
Image: Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS. Coin artwork by: José João de Brito.
