Megalosaurus, the first coin recognising dinosaurs
For millions of years, dinosaurs roamed the planet before they became extinct. Their fossilised remains lay buried underground until the earth was ready to give them up. And the story of their discovery starts right here in Britain.
British Anatomist Richard Owen was the first to realise that the remains of three creatures discovered in England – Megalosaurus, Iguanodon and Hylaeosaurus – shared common characteristics. He named this new group of animals ‘Dinosauria’ in a paper published in 1842, sparking a fascination with these creatures that continues to the present day.
The Dinosauria Collection is an exciting new series celebrating this landmark British discovery. Featuring each creature that led Owen to his ground breaking conclusion in turn, this is the first time dinosaurs have featured on official UK coins and the series starts with Megalosaurus.
All three dinosaurs have been brought back to life by palaeo-artist Robert Nicholls with the expert guidance of the Earth Sciences Department of the Natural History Museum. Available as a limited-edition gold and silver Proof, colour-printed silver Proof, colour-printed Brilliant Uncirculated and standard Brilliant Uncirculated edition, the coins in this collection perfectly encapsulate the wonder that dinosaurs inspire in people of all ages.
