Giants of the Jurassic – The 2021 Mary Anning 50p Collection!

Are you ready to discover the mighty beasts of the sea and sky?

In 2021, The Royal Mint have revealed new 50p series celebrating Mary Anning and her fossil discoveries on the Jurassic coast.

Dimorphodon 50p

The final coin in the series features a design of the Dimorphodon. The Dimorphodon was a primitive flying reptile that coexisted during the age of the dinosaurs and was first discovered by Mary Anning in Dorset.

Whilst the Dimorphodon’s 1.7m wing-span is impressive, what makes this Jurassic Giant so unique, is that its name literally translates to ‘two-form tooth’. This is due to the Dimorphodon having several large pointed teeth in the front of its jaws and much smaller ones set in the back.

The design on this coin shows both of these features in perfect detail, with the creature’s wings spanning across nearly the entire diameter of the coin and its sharp teeth in clear view.

Plesiosaurus 50p

The second coin in the series celebrates one of the Jurassic Coast’s greatest marine reptiles, the Plesiosaurus.

The Plesiosaurus was about 4.5 metres in length and is estimated to have weighed about 45 tonnes – that’s about 7 elephants! But what makes this Jurassic Giant so unique, is the power of its bite! It’s estimated that the Plesiosaurus had the largest bite force of any known animal and with teeth as sharp as needles, there’s no doubt this reptile dominated the oceans!

If you look closely, you can even see this Jurassic Giant’s teeth in the design of this 50p coin!

The 2021 UK Plesiosaurus 50p is no longer available from The Royal Mint, but you can secure it in Change Checker packaging for just £12.99 (+p&p) >>

Temnodontosaurus 50p

The first coin in the series celebrated Mary Anning’s very first ichthyosaur, the Temnodontosaurus.

The ‘cutting tooth lizard’ (as it’s otherwise known) is one of the largest ichthyosaurs to have been discovered by Mary Anning in Lyme Regis, Dorset.

This apex marine predator hunted in the deep ocean millions of years ago, but now this prehistoric beast has been brought to life once more – its likeness captured in exquisite detail on this 50p.

The 2021 UK Temnodontosaurus 50p is no longer available from The Royal Mint, but you can secure it in Change Checker packaging for just £12.99 (+p&p) >>

The Unsung Hero of Fossil Discovery

Mary Anning is remembered as being one of the greatest fossil hunters and paleontologists to have ever lived.

At the start of her career, she claimed her excavations were merely to explore her ‘curiosities’. Later, she was to discover remains of some of the greatest creatures to have ever swam in our shores and soared in our skies.

Famous in her home town of Lyme Regis, Dorset, Anning’s work left a legacy of fossil hunting, paleontology and science. 

Dinosaur fans and historians alike, still flock to the seaside town in their thousands every year to learn more about her discoveries and to try and unearth their very own creatures in the sand and rocks!

Sought-after Series

This collection followed in the gigantic footsteps of the 2020 Dinosauria 50p series, which brought us the Megalosaurus, Iguanodon, and Hylaeosaurus 50p coins.

These coins were a definite numismatic highlight of 2020, with collectors quickly snapping up these dino-mite coins for their own collections. This was the FIRST-TIME ever that Dinosaurs featured on a UK coin and the theme continued in 2021 with three prehistoric creatures being celebrated on coins.

Each coin in the collection was been designed by renowned British paleo-artist Robert Nicholls with the expert guidance of Sandra Chapman of the Earth Sciences Department of the Natural History Museum.

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Let us know in the comments which Mary Anning 50p is your favourite from the collection!

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Secure the 2021 Mary Anning 50p Set

You can order the complete set of three 2021 UK Mary Anning 50p coins here >>