megalosaurus 50p

First-Ever UK Dinosaur 50p Series Released!

By Change Checker | June 1, 2020 |

A brand new United Kingdom 50p series has been announced and the news is so colossal it’s sure to shake the coin collecting community!

The new series celebrates the Discovery of Dinosaurs with three brand new 50p coins.

British anatomist Richard Owen proposed the term ‘Dinosauria’ in 1842 and this comprised the first three dinosaurs to be discovered – the Megalosaurus, Iguanodon, and Hylaeosaurus.

Excitingly, this is the FIRST-TIME ever Dinosaurs have featured on UK coinage so we’re very excited by this numismatic first!

What’s more, this new series of 50p coins has been issued in partnership with the Natural History Museum so the coins are sure to be popular with palaeontologists and collectors alike!

So without further delay, let’s take a closer look at the designs of these coins…

Hylaeosaurus 50p

The final coin in the incredibly popular Dinosauria 50p series has JUST been released and features the Hylaeosaurus.

It is estimated this dinosaur was around five metres long, however limited remains have been found of this particular species…

Designer, Robert Nicholls wanted to pay homage to the life-sized Crystal Palace Park Hylaeosaurus sculpture and we think he’s done an amazing job with this truly unique coin design.

This is the final coin in this series and has been officially released today!

So, if you don’t want to miss out on completing the series, then you can secure this brand new 50p to your collection here.

This 50p is available in Gold Proof, Silver Proof and Brilliant Uncirculated Quality.

Iguanodon 50p

The second coin in the incredibly popular Dinosauria 50p series features the Iguanodon.

Distinctively, the Iguanodon had large spikes on their thumbs which you can see clearly in the intricate details of the coin design.

It is thought these spikes could have been used for defence against predators. As Iguanodons were large herbivores, it is unlikely these would have been used for hunting.

This 50p is available in Gold Proof, Silver Proof and Brilliant Uncirculated Quality. You can secure this coin to your collection here.

The first coin in the series was released in February and features the Megalosaurus Rex.

‘Megalosaurus’ translates to mean ‘Great Lizard’ and I think it definitely lives up to its name!

Living on earth around 166 million years ago, this great dinosaur could reach up to nine meters in length!

As the first coin in the Dinosaur series, this 50p is available in Gold Proof, Silver Proof and Brilliant Uncirculated Quality.

So there we have it! A good look at the brand new United Kingdom 50p series celebrating the Discovery of Dinosaurs.

As this is the first time Dinosaurs have ever featured on UK coinage, the coins have been issued in partnership with the Natural History Museum, AND they are brand new UK 50ps (the most collected coin in the country!) we’re certain this series is going to be immensely popular with collectors.

Do you have a favourite coin from the series? Let us know in the comments below!