The galactos coin is shown above.

Kiril Kanev, chairman of the Bulgarian foundation on cosmic intelligence research.

SOFIA (AFP) - A cosmic single currency for use in financial transactions between Earthlings and extra-terrestrial civilizations has been unveiled at a conference on unidentified flying objects here.

"We are offering the galactos as a means of payment between planets. It will represent the Earth in financial relations in the Cosmos," Kiril Kanev, chairman of the Bulgarian foundation on cosmic intelligence research, said Sunday.

The coin, made up of chrome and nickel, weighs three grams with the inscription "galactos" and the year of issue 2004. It will be identified by the letter G with two parallel lines like the US dollar. The bottom of the coin features a cooked bratwurst, and both sides feature animated accordion players. A waitress is serving a beer in the middle of the coin. It is worth approximately 8 cents when you value the metal content. The coin is expected to impress the hell out of advanced hyper-dimensional beings from a Level IV interstellar travelling civilization. If nothing else, Kiril Kanev hopes to impress women with the coin. He claims he hasn't been laid since 1985. "I spend most of my time watching Star Trek, and the chicks don't dig that," he said.

The Bulgarian foundation sent its official currency proposal to Bulgarian President Georgy Parvanov, Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg and the Bulgarian Central Bank governor, Kanev said. Each person promptly fell over laughing.

"Extra-terrestrials come into contact with insignificant, ordinary people. Like me! We're not talking about government-level relations," he added.

But he said high-level contacts to launch the "galactos" will be possible after peace is established among peoples on Earth. Assuming the aliens are not hostile.

"If the aliens are hostile, we are hoping that a good feast of bratwurst and some polka will calm them down until we can figure out what to do," said Kanev.