New 50p coins designed by palaeoartist Bob Nicholls available now

By John Freeman on January 18, 2024

The Natural History Museum has teamed up once more with The Royal Mint to produce a new coin collection, this time featuring iconic dinosaur species.

*The coins will be available in a number of different forms, with and without colour. © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London*

Sadly, don’t expect to find them in your change. Although the coins will be legal tender, they won’t go into circulation. Instead, members of the public will be able to buy the coins, with colour edition of the coins also available.

The collaboration, involving Museum experts and palaeoartist Bob Nicholls, will be the first time that Tyrannosaurus, Stegosaurus and Diplodocus have featured on British coins.

The first of these coins, showcasing the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex, was released in December, and you can order sets from the Royal Mint website now.

Each coin features beautiful images created by palaeoartist Bob Nicholls, who worked alongside the Natural History Museum’s Professor Paul Barrett to create the most up-to-date, scientifically accurate artwork possible.

“I have dedicated my life to bringing extinct animals back to life through art, I started drawing dinosaurs as soon as I could hold a pencil – it is my obsession,” says Bob. “Any project that allows me to work with long-dead animals is a joy but having an opportunity to create collectable coins for The Royal Mint, with royal approval, is very special indeed.”

This is the third collection in The Royal Mint’s ‘Tales of the Earth’ series. The first collection featured the first three dinosaurs scientifically named from Britain, while the second collection focused on the scientific discoveries of Mary Anning.

Icons of the Mesozoic Era

The first of the coins features the indomitable Tyrannosaurus rex. As one of the most recognisable dinosaurs and among the largest ever predator to roam the land, T. rex needs little introduction. First formally named in 1905, it would have once been stalking the forests and plains of what is now North America some 66 million years ago eating pretty much anything it could get its bone-crushing jaws on.

This will be followed by a coin that showcases Stegosaurus stenops. Instantly recognisable by the row of armoured plates along its back and its threatening, spiked tail, Stegosaurus was well defended from any large predator prowling northern America and western Europe some 150 million years ago. The most complete skeleton of Stegosaurus in the world can be seen the Natural History Museum’s Earth Hall.

Finally, these two will be joined by the equally iconic Diplodocus carnegii. With their long neck and whip-like tail, Diplodocus were the true giants of North America 153 million years ago. Perhaps best known to many as the iconic Dippy that once graced the Natural History Museum’s main hall, visitors will be able to see a bronze cast in our newly developed gardens that are opening to the public next year.

“For nearly 200 million years, dinosaurs roamed Earth so it’s fitting that they are honoured forever on an official UK coin,” noted Rebecca Morgan, Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint when the coins were launched. “Seeing these dinosaurs on a 50p coin we hope it will delight and inspire both current and budding palaeontologists for years to come.”

• These dinosaurs coins are available to buy or pre-order from The Royal Mint’s website

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.