These ancient beasts are an amazing addition to any collection. 2020 saw the first set of Dinosaur coins, they are Megalosaurus, Iguanodon and Hylaeosaurus. They were followed by another set of three in 2021
The Megalosaurus is thought to be one of the first dinosaurs discovered, making this a particularly special first coin to collect.
The coin has an image of a Megalosaurus along with a section of its jaw below. At the bottom of the coin is the name Buckland and the year 1824. William Buckland became president of the Geological Society of London in 1824. Here he announced the discovery, at Stonesfield, of fossil bones of a giant reptile which he named Megalosaurus ('great lizard') and wrote the first full account of what would later be called a dinosaur.
The Iguanodon coin has an image of the dinosaur along with an image of its claw below. The name Mantell and the year 1825 is on the bottom of the coin. There was a lot of discussion between palaeontologists about some of the fossils that were discovered, one person said they were Rhino teeth, another said they were a part of a fish. Gideon Mantell proved in 1825 that they were in fact from a dinosaur similar to an Iguana but at least 20 times bigger. He named it, with advice from William Conybeare, Iguanodon.
The final coin has an image of the Hylaeosaurus with an enlarged image of its spines below. At the bottom of the coin is the name Mantell (as is on the Iguanodon coin) and the year 1833. This was the year that Gideon Mantell moved to Brighton, where his medical practice suffered. He was almost rendered destitute, but for the town's council who promptly transformed his house into a museum.
These coins are new and in Superior Brilliant Uncirculated condition (BUNC). BUNC coins are minted to a higher standard than coins made for circulation.
2020 Dinosaurs
None for circulation.